Pastor Maldonado

Courtesy of Planet F1 and Tranquility's post in the Belgian PQR thread here's a place to discuss the Williams' No.2

"Is Pastor Maldonado the scariest man in sport? His post-Spa interview was delivered with a stare that could put a weak-hearted man six foot under from a distance of ten yards and culminated in the remarkable, utterly-terrifying announcement that he regards Lewis Hamilton as "a really good friend."

Jeepers.

Just jeepers.

Fear and pray for his enemies."

Pastor started his racing career in Italy in the Formula Renault and F3000. He would have been Formula Renault 3.5 Champion if he hadn't been disqualified from a win at Misano in 2006. Moving on to GP2 Pastor raced for 4 seasons, eventually taking the title in 2010.

With not insubstantial financial backing from Venezuela's national petroleum company, PDVSA, he took Nico Hulkenberg's seat at Williams for 2011 winning his first point last weekend in Belgium.

On a personal level, he is a self proclaimed Socialist and a personal friend of controversial Venezuelan leader Hugo Chavez, which probably explains the backing from PDVSA.... Oh, and he's 26 and is still wearing braces on his teeth.

 

[ExtremeNinja]

Hamilton in Spa last year and Perez in Monaco this year. On both occasions he deliberately crashed into a driver. There may be other occasions but these two are the ones in recent times that have been reviewed by stewards and been deemed to be malicious driving.

 

[Mephistopheles]

Did the stewards actually come out and say he deliberately rammed these drivers or did they say causing an avoidable accident?

I only ask because I would like to know the actual wording in the stewards report, if it is true that his actions were deliberate then why wasn't he punished more harshly?

Malicious driving isn't he same as deliberately ramming someone, I refuse to believe that any driver would "Use his car as a weapon" unless that driver was a psychopath in which case he should be locked up.

 

[KekeTheKing]

Don't want to re-open old debates, but wasn't Jenson's defense against Vettel the perfect of example of why you should never just willfully concede a position.

The onus should always be on the overtaking driver to do it cleanly and legally.

 

[Hamberg]

Another uncontrollable slide, another knock into another driver, another penalty and another "I did nothing wrong".

 

[Galahad]

I think that's 9 episodes of contact with other cars in 11 races. Senna also has 9, with Grosjean on 8.

I might do some more analysis during the summer break, but those figures are pretty shocking.

 

[The Pits]

Maybe the Williams loses downforce when another car is alongside, inducing oversteer. Just a thought.

 

[FB]

Maybe Pastor loses control when another car is alongside, inducing stupidity?

 

[Brogan]

You beat me to it FB

 

[Jen]

I would like to think that The Pits is kinder

 

[MCLS]

It almost seems a regular event now, without sponsorship I think his seat would be under serious pressure now. Barcelona must seem a long time ago now

 

[Fenderman]

How's it go "Spare the rod, spoil the child"? Not that I believe in corporal punishment but a metaphorical clip round the ear from the team boss seems to be well overdue.

 

[tooncheese]

I think that's 9 episodes of contact with other cars in 11 races. Senna also has 9, with Grosjean on 8.

I might do some more analysis during the summer break, but those figures are pretty shocking.

No surprise that they are all GP2 drivers.

 

[The Pits]

sorry guys, I was not being kind, I was trying to be subtle and amusing. I should maybe have adopted FB s more direct approach!!

 

[racecub]

How's it go "Spare the rod, spoil the child"? Not that I believe in corporal punishment but a metaphorical clip round the ear from the team boss seems to be well overdue.

I heard them discussing Maldonado before the latest 'event' . Apparantly they have been trying to calm him down, he's been working with Wurtz in a driver programme. Coulthard was saying this on the BBC highlight show. Obviously the programme hasn't been too successful

 

[Dizzi]

It's the constant "I did nothing wrong" that gets me, you'd think occasionally he'd look at the footage everyone else is seeing.
Trouble is if he does have a genuine incident where it isn't his fault the die is already cast.

 

[Brogan]

Maldonado's demonstration run in Venzuela came to an abrupt end when he spun and crashed his Williams...

 

[FB]

Was someone holding up a picture of Lewis?

 

[mjo]

The irony...

 

[Speshal]

He can afford it. Twat

 

[Brogan]

A better view of it...