Maldonado to test for HRT and Williams

2011 F1 testing

Posted on

| Written by

Pastor Maldonado, Rapax, GP2, 2010

HRT have announced that Pastor Maldonado will test for them in the young drivers test at Abu Dhabi next week.

He will drive the car on three days including Friday and Saturday, when the teams will get their first taste of Pirelli F1 tyres.

Maldonado will also drive the car on Tuesday. HRT have not announced who will drive the car on the one remaining day.

The GP2 champion will test for Williams on the Wednesday of the test amid rumours he will join the team in 2011.

Last week HRT revealed they would use gearboxes supplied by Williams next year.

Maldonado said:

It is simply an honour to be only the second Venezuelan driver after Johnny Cecotto, who drove nearly three decades ago. I have much to be grateful for being given this opportunity.
Pastor Maldonado

Read more: 2011 F1 testing dates confirmed

Image © GP2 Media Service / Alastair Staley

Author information

Keith Collantine
Lifelong motor sport fan Keith set up RaceFans in 2005 - when it was originally called F1 Fanatic. Having previously worked as a motoring...

Got a potential story, tip or enquiry? Find out more about RaceFans and contact us here.

21 comments on “Maldonado to test for HRT and Williams”

  1. I think it’s an inevitability that Maldonado is going to end up on the 2011 grid. And he could be what makes Hispania quite competitive next season; the fifteen million dollars he brings from PDVSA could be enough to ink a deal with Toyota, who the team have been consistently linked to of late.

    1. Dollars, not Euros?

    2. But the Toyota will have to use a single diffuser.

      1. even a neutered Toyota would be better than the POS F110

        1. Yes but who would pay for developing a single diffuser on the 2010 Toyota never raced? Would HRT be able to do that?

      2. Who said anything about running the TF110 chassis with a single-plane diffuser switched in. They could get the technical data for the TF110 and work it into their 2011 car. Kind of like the way F2007 data found its way into the MP4/22, only legal.

        1. I understand what you mean, but the question is how much HRT are actually able to develop a new car at all, this year they’ve had no developments at all so let’s hope it’s because they’ ve focused all they have on 2011.

          1. It’s pretty much a given that they have.

          2. You’re probably right, otherwise HRT are really in a bad position if all money have only gone to pay for running the team and surviving the year! Now that can hardly be the case, with Williams gearboxes and perhaps if they can afford it Williams KERS in 2011.

          3. Wouldn’t it be a shock if HRT really wasn’t in as bad a position financially as everyone thinks they are, and they’d just been putting everything into next year’s car rather than develop this year’s car at all. They could show up on the grid and be faster than Virgin and Lotus. Not likely though.

            Another thing that just occurred to me is that they’ve probably gathered the best circuit data of any team this year by running the exact same car at every circuit they’ve eliminated all the car variables and gathered truly representative data of the circuits themselves. Of course all the data in the world won’t help them if their car is no good next year. It’s gonna be fascinating to see how all the new teams end up next year.

  2. When was the decision made to put him in the Hispania? Before or after Hulkenberg’s pole position? :)

    I’d much prefer to see Maldonado race for Hispania next season, and Williams keep the two they’ve got.
    All the rookies – and those returning to F1 after a break! – are showing it takes most of a season to get up to speed with F1 these days.

    Wishful thinking – but is there any chance the flywheel KERS will appear in one of the teams’ cars? I thought Williams had given up on it for F1 and were just developing it commercially for Porsches, buses etc.

    1. From what I’ve read, the current rules are more conducive to the battery system. However, if the rules change in the future so that more power from the KERS is allowed the fly-wheel system would have an advantage. I believe Williams plan to use a battery system but at the same time develop the fly-wheel.

  3. So Hulkenberg stays in williams?

  4. Well that sounds like a good and smart compromise for Williams, HRT and Maldonado. Williams and HRT share the money and technology, Williams keeps their current well working team of drivers; HRT get another GP2 winner, after having difficulty finding a real great promise in any driver this year. Even for Maldonado it is good, I think. He doesn’t get a super seat, but with that money, and Williams to keep him there, he is secure while in the Williams the pressure to deliver would have been a lot higher, now he can find his way in F1 first. And his GP2 time seems to show that he needs some time to find his feet. Looks good for 2011!

    1. By GP2 winner you mean GP2 race winner and not championship winner? As neither Chandhok, Senna, Klien or Yamamoto have won the GP2 series.

  5. Charles Carroll
    8th November 2010, 15:38

    Well, that will do it for ol’ Pastor. A shame, really. We hardly knew ye.

  6. Maldonado is lying. He is not the second Venezuelan to “drive” a F1. Although Johnny Cecotto is indeed the only Venezuelan that has been able to “race” in Formula 1 (also the only one to score a point), EJ Viso tested with Midland/Spyker back in 2006 as part of the Brazilian GP weekend.

    1. I would say he didn’t know or forgot, rather than he was lying. Unless he hates Viso. They both shunt a lot, presumably they’ve come together at some point.

      1. Didn’t Maldonaldo test for Minardi in 2004?

        1. I think he’s just going to much into the future, he must be saying that he will be in a seat in 2011 so he will be only the 2nd Venezuelan to drive in a F1 race.
          He said it everything (I guess…)

  7. Saw this coming. Maldonado as 3rd/4th driver for Williams next year?

Comments are closed.