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.

 

[KekeTheKing]

I might have a tiny bit of sympathy for Pastor if he ever had the stones to admit he botched it, but with interviews like these he seals his reputation as a complete goon. How does anybody take this guy seriously?

 

[Il_leone]

I did wonder when Maldonado dived down the outside if Lewis should yield given their history

 

[teabagyokel]

How does anybody take this guy seriously?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/formula1/18052153

 

[KekeTheKing]

I don't doubt his speed TBY. It's his mental capacity that is lacking. And he has been in several high profile collisions without putting his hand up a single time.

 

[Il_leone]

Was Pastor given a 20 second penalty which I read today but did it affect his result

 

[teabagyokel]

I know, KekeTheKing, just an answer to your question...!

Il_leone - he lost his point to Senna, as it happens.

 

[Il_leone]

teabagyokel

well the BBC have not updated it yet

 

[gethinceri]

Sky have.Worth every penny.

http://www1.skysports.com/formula-1/news/12479/7839745/Maldonado-penalised-for-Hamilton-crash

 

[Il_leone]

What an absolute deluded fool for accusing Lewis of "aggressive behaviour"... Lewis did not do anything wrong but protect the line into the corner

 

[Incubus]

I don't doubt his speed TBY. It's his mental capacity that is lacking. And he has been in several high profile collisions without putting his hand up a single time.

---------------------------------------------------------------

As has Hamilton last year.

 

[F1ang-o]

Incubus
Why are you comparing PM2012 to LH 2011....last year when Kobashi smashed into LH & put him out of a race.Lewis didn't even see him....yet he held his hand up & said it was a100% his fault....Then at the next race...Coulthard showed the incident slo-mo & said that it was not LH fault..Kobi was unable to slow his car down. LH no race win/WDC points, no penalty fo Kobi.

Monaco 2011 MS passed LH..LH took place back from him LH tried same move on Massa.....who turned in on him.... Maldanado turned in a full car length earlier than previous laps, taking himself out of the race. Lewis got the penalties.
Thankfully later in the year Johnnie Herbert penalised Massa .......
It's quite unbelievable that fans complain about lack of overtaking/processions at certain tracks & when it is attempted they want to punish IMO the wrong driver.
On one occasion he did run into the back of Massa ......... don't know which circuit, but Massa braked earlier than him on whatever turn/corner they were at...LH penalty.
Waffled on a bit ..but the point is LH is firm/hard but I have never seen him deliberately drive into another car. Yet Maldando has done this to him at least three times & to others who he feels are in his way. What does he hope to achieve?....What some thought LH should have done on Sunday?...get out of his way...allow him to bully or suffer the consequences.
Why have rules & then say LH would have been better off letting him pass........LH still had chance of a podium, only just over one lap to go, driving by the rules. ....Maldanado should have tried to the pass at an easier place, he may have made a mistake.....& LH may have kept his position. If you meekly submit you are reducing the sport to something that isn't racing or sporting. ....Integrity.is expensive.but necessary. .......
Comparisons are odious, this one especially so

 

[Lewywo4]

ExtremeNinja
I cannot believe he has still has got a licence, I read on here that a few seasons ago, he ran into a marshall under yellows, causing severe injuries to the marshall's back. Why is he still allowed to race?

F1ang-o......I wonder if this is the incident that you referring too?

 

[Lewywo4]

It's a wonder that nobody was killed!

 

[Incubus]

I don't really agree with your views as to where the blame lies on most of LH's collisions last year but that's besides the point and I wasn't going out of my way to make comparisons between last year and the current one.
Simply feel that the vilification of Maldonado is getting a bit out of hand here.

Yes Maldonado is a hot head. Yes he gets involved in incidents he would have avoided had he been capable of keeping a cool hew times he most neededd one.
And above all yes, his driving delibeately into the side of Hamilton at Spa last year was one of the most unacceptable things I have seen for quite a few years.

HOWEVER, none of the above imply that every single incident he has or will be involved in justify calls to suspend his license or anything along those lines when they happen to involve clumsy driving errors borne out of poor judgement, as opposed to dangerous driving.

It may well be that Maldonado is guilty of a vindictive eye-for-an-eye mentality, and Spa was a case in point. But to suggest the incident in Valencia or any other incident he is involved in automatically represents a deliberate attempt by him to take out an opponent is starting to look a bit like a witch-hunt to me. He is a hot head for sure. Not the first one one nor the last.

 

[F1ang-o]

lewymp4
That could be the incident.
One of the marshalls was badly injured....spinal I think........... & PM still has a licence!.
IMO...he needs to be given a proper penalty that will stop his reckless bullyboy behaviour

Worth...a mention, when Pastor won GP this year at Barcelona, LH congratulated him & went to the Williams garage to congratulate Frank & the team.

 

[F1ang-o]

Incubus
A lot of comments from pundits suggest he is best avoided, is he a liability, IMO yes.
Lewis is not the only driver that has been bullied by him.

When you say that you weren't going out of your way to make comparisons......what was your point then? Why did you bring LH into it...?

 

[Incubus]

My point was that basically I believe every incident has to be viewed entirely seperately, on its merits, without any prejudice from any previous incident. Because the minute people do then it's the end of any sensible argument. Anybody can say "Ah yeah but what about the time when so-and-so did this and that" and so on, and there's never any end to it.
When it comes to Maldonado it sems to me that logic goes out the window a bit on here so I thought I'd respond to Keke in the same vein and see if that logic applied to Hamilton. If it does then I think that logic should apply to Maldonado too.

If I'd been charge of applying rules at Spa last year I'd have given Maldonado two-race ban.

But this was then and now is now, and each incident has to be viewed separately. In my opinion last Sunday was a race incident and not the hallmarks of a driver who's a danger to others, and that is why he he was penalised for the manner in which he regained the track rather than the actual collision, which sounds about right to me.

 

[F1ang-o]

Incubus
I agree that every incident has to be viewed seperately...but I see no merit in Maldanado's behaviour.

If you look at Spa 2008 Kimi & Lewis battle for lead at almost the same stage of the race,....You will see a virtual carbon copy of the incident that he had with LH at the last race, but at Spa Lewis took the correct action..he followed the rules...didn't do HIM any good then either......

Unless perimeters are set and behaviour is modified I fear the worse for one of PM red mist moments.
Someone said...He who doesn't understand history, has chance of repeating it....he doesn't seem to realise that he is not allowed to run into other drivers & get away with only a minor penalty........... End Bullying
Some of Pastor's accidents are posted above. He ran into a marshall under yelllows, he hasn't learned from his mistakes.

He has robbed LH of his WDC points on this occasion, it could have been much worse.

 

[Viscount]

I don't think that's Maldonado crashing in that video. I'm pretty sure the commentator says "Maldonado" and his name appears on screen next to a chequered flag because he won that race. I believe this is incident F1ang-o referred to:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/motorsport/4578667.stm

Incubus you're right, every incident should be viewed individually without prejudice, it's just when similar incidents occur it's hard to forget what previously happened.

 

[F1ang-o]

Viscount
Thank-you for finding that info. .....

Incubus I have no reason to dislike PM, I just think he needs to rein himself in.

Edit....Viscount....I wish there was a different response than just the 'Like' button, I meant thanks....