F1: Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin drives Renault F1 car! (+video)

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Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, head of the Russian government, has tested a 2006 Renault Formula 1 car on Saturday on an empty stretch of road on the outskirts of his home city, St. Petersburg.

Photo: CNN

The fearless former KGB man, who already piloted a fighter jet, took the wheel of the F1 car and apparently reached speeds of 250 km/h.



Renault has strong links with Russian car manufacturer Lada, and Russian driver Vitaly Petrov is a Renault F1 driver this season.

Putin also played an instrumental role in the negotiations with Bernie Ecclestone to have the first F1 Grand Prix of Russia in Sochi in 2014.