Pastor Maldonado

Infobox racing driver
name = Pastor Maldonado


pixels =
caption =
nationality = flagicon|Venezuela Venezuelan
date of birth = Birth date and age|1985|3|9
place of birth = Maracay (Venezuela)
current series = GP2 Series
first year = 2007
current team = Minardi Piquet Sports
car number = 23
former teams = Trident Racing
starts = 32
wins = 2
poles = 3
fastest laps = 4
best finish = 5th
year = 2008
prev series = Italian Formula Renault
European Formula Renault
World Series by Renault
prev series years = 2003-2004
2004
2005-2006
titles = Italian Formula Renault
title years = 2004
awards =
award years =

Pastor Maldonado (born March 9 1985 in Maracay) is a racing driver from Venezuela, whose career has thus far centred around single-seater Formula racing. He is a former champion of Italian Formula Renault.

Career path

Formula Renault

Maldonado's first experience of formula racing began in Italy in 2003. He competed in the Italian Formula Renault Championship with Cram Competition, and was classified seventh in the drivers' championship. His notable results included three podium finishes and one pole position. [ [http://forix.autosport.com/cp.php?l=0&d=999&r=442003&c=30 Italian Formula Renault Championship, 2003] Retrieved on February 1 2007.] Cram Competition also entered one round of the German Formula Renault Championship at Oschersleben. [ [http://forix.autosport.com/driver.php?l=0&d=999&d=43&r=1985030900&c=51&rcp=432003&rst=1000 2003 Participations in German Formula Renault] Retrieved on February 1 2007.]

In 2004, Maldonado ran a dual programme in Italian and European Formula Renault with Cram Competition. He won the Italian title, with eight wins and six pole positions from seventeen starts. [ [http://forix.autosport.com/driver.php?l=0&d=999&d=44&r=1985030900&c=51&rcp=442004&rst=1000 2004 Participations] Retrieved on February 1 2007.] In the European championship, he was classified eighth overall, with two wins. [ [http://forix.autosport.com/cp.php?l=0&d=999&r=412004&c=30 2004 European Formula Renault standings] Retrieved on February 1 2007.] Maldonado also found the time to enter one round of the now defunct Formula Renault V6 Eurocup at Spa-Francorchamps, with a best finish of fifth place. [ [http://forix.autosport.com/driver.php?l=0&d=999&d=34&r=1985030900&c=51&rcp=342004&rst=1000 2004 Participations] Retrieved on February 1 2007.]

In November 2004, Maldonado was given an opportunity to test with the Minardi Formula One team at Misano in Italy. [ [http://atlasf1.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/14932/.html Minardi tests Maldonado at Misano] Retrieved on February 1 2007.] The team's former owner, Giancarlo Minardi, was present at the test and commented positively about Maldonado's performance. [ [http://www.autosport-atlas.com/article.asp?id=40952 Albers quick at Misano] Retrieved on February 1 2007.]

Italian F3000

In 2005, Maldonado progressed out of Formula Renault, but did not get the opportunity to complete a full season in any one series. He made four starts in the Italian F3000 Championship with Sighinolfi Auto Racing, in which one race win was enough to finish ninth overall. [ [http://forix.autosport.com/driver.php?l=0&d=999&d=311&r=1985030900&c=51&rcp=3112005&rst=1000 2005 F3000 Participations] Retrieved on February 1 2007.] He also entered nine races (and made seven starts) in the Spanish-based World Series by Renault, with a best finish of seventh. [ [http://forix.autosport.com/driver.php?l=0&d=999&d=320&r=1985030900&c=51&rcp=3202005&rst=1000 2005 WSR Participations] Retrieved on February 1 2007.] However, his participation in the WSR was marred by a four-race ban for dangerous driving. He failed to slow down at the scene of an accident at Monaco, despite the presence of warning flags, and struck and seriously injured a marshal. [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/solpda/ukfs_sport/hi/newsid_4578000/4578667.stm Maldonado handed ban after crash] , "news.bbc.co.uk", May 25 2005. Retrieved on February 2 2007.]

World Series by Renault

Maldonado secured a full-time drive in the World Series by Renault with Draco Racing in 2006. He was classified third overall, with three race wins, six further podium finishes, and five pole positions. [ [http://forix.autosport.com/driver.php?l=0&d=999&d=320&r=1985030900&c=51&rcp=3202006&rst=1000 2006 WSR Participations] Retrieved on February 1 2007.] [ [http://forix.autosport.com/cp.php?l=0&d=999&r=3202006&c=30 WSR 2006 Drivers' Championship] Retrieved on February 1 2007.]

Controversy

However, in a season that was marked by controversy, Maldonado could have won the title were it not for a disqualification from first place at Misano for a technical infringement. [ [http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/53197 Penalties hand victory to Vettel] Retrieved on February 1 2007.] Draco Racing lodged an appeal and the results of the championship remained provisional until Italy's "National Court of Appeal for Motorsport" upheld the stewards' decision at a hearing in January 2007. [ [http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/56475 Danielsson confirmed as champion] Retrieved on February 1 2007.] The lost fifteen points would have been enough to move him up from third to first in the standings, ahead of Alx Danielsson and Borja García.

GP2 Series

Maldonado's performances in the WSR were enough to attract the interest of GP2 teams, and he signed a contract to drive for Trident Racing in 2007 after a successful test in late 2006. [ [http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/56547 Maldonado confirmed at Trident] Retrieved on February 1 2007.] He took his first victory in only his fourth race in the series with a commanding win at Monaco. However, he had to miss the final four rounds of the season after breaking a collarbone during training, leaving him outside the championship top 10. [cite news| title =Injury forces Maldonado out| publisher =crash.net| url =http://www.crash.net/news_view~cid~7~id~153123.htm| date =2007-08-19| accessdate =2007-08-19] He has moved to the Piquet Sports team for 2008, his second year in the series. At midseason he has two poles and two podiums. He had a farcical sprint race in the wet at Silverstone - he stalled on the dummy grid, picked up a penalty for speeding in the pitlane as he joined the race, another penalty for passing under yellow flags, and crashed into Adrián Vallés and Kamui Kobayashi on the final lap. He started at the back of the grid for the Hungary feature race, but he moved up to finish fifth after staying out for longer than any other driver, and setting a succession of quick laps on these worn tyres. Four podium finishes - including a win at Spa - in the final six races saw him rise to fifth place in the drivers' championship by the end of the season.

Racing record

Complete GP2 Series results

() (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in "italics" indicate fastest lap)

References