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Post by Anna on Sept 2, 2011 20:11:29 GMT
#12 Pastor MaldonadoDriver InfoFull Name: Pastor Rafael Maldonado Motta Age: 26 Nationality: Venezuelan Twitter: Pastormaldo Website: TBC Wikipedia: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pastor_MaldonadoF1 StatisticsRaces: 14 Debut: 2011 Australian GP Points: 1 Wins: 0 Podiums: 0 Highest Finish: 10th (2011 Belgian GP) Pole Positions: 0 Highest Qual: 7th (2011 British GP) Fastest Laps: 0 Drivers Championships: 0 Highest Championship Pos: n/a (Debut Season) Current Championship Pos: 19th (1 Point) Team History2010-Present: Williams Notable Achievements 2004 Italian Formula Renault Champion 2010 GP2 Champion
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Post by Anna on Sept 8, 2011 19:53:50 GMT
Q & A with Pastor Maldonado By Simon Strang Thursday, September 8th 2011, 14:05 GMT
AUTOSPORT catches up with Pastor Maldonado following the Venezuelan's first point in Formula 1 at the Belgian Grand Prix.
Q. Pleased about getting your first points on the board last time out?
Pastor Maldonado: I am pleased especially for the team. For the country, for me. It's important but it's not everything. We need more, we need to keep pushing. The season is not over and we need to keep pushing. I think the team is doing good and they are still pushing on some new things. The car is improving race after race. I'm more experienced as well you know, so I am more confident with the team and the car.
Q. How much better is it knowing that your place is secure for next year and you are able to concentrate on developing as an F1 driver?
PM: For sure I feel more confident in the team, with the car, with everything. As a rookie you know you need a bit of time to adapt yourself to the different level in Formula 1, coming from GP2. But at the moment I feel at home, the team is great, especially because of the spirit. They are always pushing so hard and they always want more. In the factory, here in the track also. I spend a lot of time in the factory and in the simulator. So I think apart from the results were are doing well and I hope to improve myself race after race and even the car.
Q. How much closer to your potential do you think you are from the beginning of the year?
PM: I'm improving. My only mission here is to improve race after race you know. I think that drivers never stop [learning]. You can continually improve and I have done that so far this year. Every race I have been learning more from Rubens [Barrichello] and learning more from the team. Also about the tracks and the different things that I have experienced in the past.
Q. Did you drive in the aero test at Silverstone last week, and how did it feel in low downforce?
PM: To be honest it felt comfortable. Different condition for sure here with the high kerbs and it we feel different from the tests. But I hope to improve and feel confident.
I think here is the kind of track that the driver must be very confident with the car because of the low downforce. On braking especially because of the really high speed to very low speed, especially the first and second chicanes - you must feel completely at one with the car, the team and the engine, to translate what the car is doing and how the track is improving lap after lap.
Q. How does the Cosworth engine stack up against the likes of the Mercedes? Do you feel you are lacking in power?
PM: No not at the moment. I think there is some difference, but it is not very big. We need to see in Monza, where the engines will be working hard, but I hope to be competitive.
Q. Have you spoken to Lewis and cleared the air since Spa?
PM: Yeah. It's all solved between us. We are very good friends from many years ago. That's it. We made a mistake and now we look forward.
Q. Did you meet or text, or was it a phone call?
PM: We had some contact at Spa here in the motorhome.
Q. This is one of the last circuits you knew from GP2 on the calendar this year.
PM: I know Abu Dhabi as well but for sure it is going to be an important part of the season for me, because I need to adapt myself to the new circuits – especially Singapore which is quite complicated. But I love it, I love to work and to have something new to discover. I'm confident and I feel ready to go there and to do my best.
Q. Do you think it will make a difference in terms of performance or do you think after first or second practice it's all the same?
PM: After Friday I will be on the pace.
Q. Would you like to see Rubens as your team-mate next year?
PM: For sure Rubens and me we are working so hard and I feel very good with him in the team. I think him as well. We do have one of the most, in my opinion, strongest driver line-ups in Formula 1 and for sure I would like to have him in the team next year. But for both of us there is nothing at the moment.
Q. How was your first world championship point received in Venezuela?
PM: Very good. It was completely big news. I think that the country, and even myself, is expecting more than one point. I am working so hard, but the people in Venezuela are so happy for that. We are a very young country and for sure it is big news.
Q. Have you had to do a lot more national media since Spa?
PM: Since I was in World Series I have had to work with many media because I was one of the drivers with the possibility to come to Formula 1. In Venezuela we have two TV channels that share the F1 coverage so it is really important for us because it is getting more popular race-by-race and even with no drivers in the past F1 was one of the most important sports in Venezuela. Now with this it seems crazy you know.
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Post by Anna on Nov 1, 2011 12:31:11 GMT
Maldonado to get grid penalty in Abu Dhabi for using ninth engine of the season By Pablo Elizalde Tuesday, November 1st 2011, 09:51 GMT
Pastor MaldonadoPastor Maldonado will lose ten places on the grid for the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix as he will be forced to use his ninth engine of the season.
His Williams team said on Tuesday that due to the damage his engine suffered in India because of a gearbox failure, Maldonado will be unable to use that power unit anymore.
Therefore Williams will forced to use a ninth engine for the Venezuelan in the following race in Abu Dhabi.
Teams are limited to eight engines per season, meaning Maldonado will be hit with a ten-place grid penalty in the Yas Marina event.
Team-mate Rubens Barrichello will be using his eighth engine of the season in Abu Dhabi.
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Post by Anna on Nov 12, 2011 21:50:05 GMT
Maldonado set for second F1 season with Williams
"I am sure Pastor will be in one car"
Saturday 12 November 2011 - 09h12, by GMM Amid all the speculation about the identity of his 2012 teammate, it seems clear that Pastor Maldonado can relax about keeping his race seat at Williams.
Rubens Barrichello, Adrian Sutil and - to the delight of F1’s rumour mill and headline writers - Kimi Raikkonen are reportedly in contention for the Oxfordshire based team’s second seat.
But although Venezuelan rookie and last year’s GP2 champion Maldonado has not yet been officially confirmed for 2012, boss Sir Frank Williams admitted in Abu Dhabi that the heavily backed 26-year-old can relax.
"I am sure Pastor will be in one car," he said at Yas Marina.
In some quarters, Maldonado is still dismissed as little more than a pay-driver, with his PDVSA sponsorship and personal support from Venezualan president Hugo Chavez said to run into the dozens of millions.
But when asked who he thinks is this year’s standout rookie, Fernando Alonso told AS newspaper: "I like the season that has been done by Maldonado.
"He is usually always fighting with Barrichello or beating him and doing some pretty serious racing. I think he has done very well in his debut," said the Ferrari driver and former back-to-back world champion.
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Post by Anna on Dec 17, 2011 12:53:15 GMT
2011 end of term report – Pastor Maldonado
1 point, 19th in the drivers’ championship
Friday 9 December 2011 - 10h23, by Sandrine Bouchard Pastor Maldonado made his debut in the F1 World Championship this season. It was not an easy task for the Venezuelan driver as the Williams FW33 didn’t come up to the team’s expectations. He still managed to impress on occasions and scored one point.
Season review:
Reigning GP2 Champion, Maldonado was signed by Williams to replace Nico Hulkenberg. The Venezuelan came with heavy financial backing from his country, especially from the national oil company PDVSA, which didn’t serve his image. He had to prove his worth and show his detractors he deserved his place in F1.
His debuts were difficult: he was forced to retire in Australia with a transmission problem. Then, in Malaysia, he made a mistake in Free Practice 2 and crashed in the tyre wall. He qualified in 18th position and retired from the race.
On the other side, Maldonado showed some sparks of good speed: he qualified three times in the top ten. He started in 9th position in Spain but finished the race in 15th position. At Monaco, he started eighth and was running in 6th place when he was taken out of the race by Lewis Hamilton. 7th on the starting grid at Silverstone, he finished the race in 14th position.
The rookie had a contrasting weekend in Belgium. On one hand he scored his first World Championship point but on the other hand he was involved in two incidents with Lewis Hamilton in qualifying and picked up a five place grid penalty.
The final part of the season was tough for the Williams driver who retired from the Korean and Indian races with mechanical problems. In Brazil, he made a mistake and ended his season in a tyre wall.
Conclusion:
Pastor Maldonado narrowly managed to score a point in his F1 rookie season. Although he regularly qualified higher than his experienced teammate Rubens Barrichello, the Venezuelan lacked consistency in the races. He has been confirmed at Williams for 2012.
Highs: Showed good speed in qualifying Improved during the season Proved he was more than a pay-driver
Lows:
Didn’t always perform in races Collision with Hamilton in Belgium Two crashes (Canada, Brazil)
Nextgen-Auto.com marks: Olivier Ferret : 14/20 D.Thys : 13/20 Sandrine Bouchard : 11/20 Jean-Michel Setbon : 11/20 Average mark on the forum Nextgen-Auto.com : 9/20 Total : 58/100
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Post by Anna on Dec 19, 2011 12:43:35 GMT
Talking through the year with Pastor Maldonado
Pastor fill us in on his memories of visiting 18 countries in eight months
Saturday 17 December 2011 - 23h05, by Olivier Ferret For Pastor, it all started down under with his first race in Formula One, at Albert Park in Melbourne. “The race was not so good because I stopped quite early but up to then I was having quite a good time. I liked the city very much and found a lot of Venezuelan supporters there, so that made me very happy. It was my first race and it was a great moment.
“I remember Shanghai very well because the food was fantastic and although there were plenty of strange things on the menu I stuck with normal Chinese food! It was the first race I finished so that gives me a good memory.”
Talking through the year with Pastor it becomes clear that the support of his fellow Venezuelans is really important to him, and he acknowledges the fans who have come thousands of miles to support him.
“In Canada, Germany and Hungary there were lots of Venezuelan fans,” he said. “I had a great time in Budapest, it is a great city and I had some friends and my family who came over to support me.
“We found a fantastic Argentinean restaurant in Budapest and had a great meal there – but I can’t remember what it’s called!”
The other theme that comes through consistently is food - Pastor loves it and that was never more evident in Italy.
“I stayed close to the circuit and we went out for dinner several times throughout the weekend. You can say that Pastor ate lots of pasta! After that we went to Singapore and that was a great experience, I even went on the big wheel next to the track which was pretty cool!”
Pastor turned tourist for the inaugural Indian Grand Prix with a visit to one of the country’s most iconic landmarks.
“I went to the Taj Mahal while I was there and thought it was an unbelievable place. I turned into a proper tourist and took loads of pictures. It took about six hours to get there from the hotel but going to places like that makes all the travel worth it.
“In Abu Dhabi, I was amazed. It’s a dream track and everything there is top dollar! I had been to the city before and it is perfect, beautifully clean and my hotel was stunning. All the facilities at the track are brilliant and it’s getting better every year. It was my girlfriend Gaby’s birthday while we were in Abu Dhabi so we celebrated with a nice meal (food again - Ed!)
The season rounded out in Brazil and Pastor was able to combine all his favourite things into one - friends, fervent Venezuelan support, and, yes, great food!
“It’s a special race as it is the closest to Venezuela and I have lots of fans here,” he said. “The Brazilian fans are so passionate about the sport, similar to the Japanese and the meat in the restaurants is amazing! I took on lots of protein for the race and probably the whole winter!”
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