Maldonado hits back at “crying” Perez

F1 Fanatic round-up

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In the round-up: Pastor Maldonado responds to Sergio Perez’s criticism of his driving and insists he did not deliberately hit the Sauber driver in Monaco.

Links

Top F1 links from the past 24 hours:

Perez on Maldonado: “He’s just a very stupid driver…” (Adam Cooper)

Maldonado: “[Perez is] always crying. In Monaco it was a normal incident. I think we need to value where it’s intentional and where it’s not. For sure it was clear it was not intentional.”

McLaren must improve form – Hamilton (BBC)

“We are still in the fight, but unless we find something it’s going to be hard to stay in the fight. I raced my heart out as always but we just struggled; we did not have enough speed in general.”

Ferrari hail performance step (Sky)

Stefano Domenicali: “It’s very tough but it’s great to see Fernando [Alonso] still in the championship battle. From the sporting point of view, it’s good to see Lewis losing some points, Sebastian [Vettel] too. But it is also good to see Felipe [Massa] having a good performance today because we have jumped the classification on the constructors’ side and that is very good.”

British GP – Conference 4 (FIA)

Alonso on overtaking Lewis Hamilton: “I was with new tyres so I had a pace advantage but you know the McLaren is quite quick on the straights, so I overtook him on the exit of the corner thanks to the tyres and then he overtook me again on the straight and it was a difficult moment of the race because if you have a little contact or something you can lose your front wing or whatever and your race is over. You need to be aggressive, you need to try to no lose too much time in those overtakings but at the same time being a little bit careful.”

Vettel says first stint cost him dear (Autosport)

“[The soft tyre] didn’t perform very well. I was struggling a lot. I was in traffic, which doesn’t help, but I really couldn’t go any faster than the guys in front. In clean air I think we could’ve done the pace of the leaders at that time, but like that it was difficult.

Mark Webber drives off with fans’ hearts at F1 British Grand Prix (The Guardian)

Christian Horner: “Inevitably there is an awful lot of speculation surrounding Ferrari but we are focused on ourselves. Mark feels comfortable in the team and over the next few weeks we will sit down and talk about the future.”

Comment of the day

Bananas’ view on Maldonado’s latest collision was typical of many posted yesterday:

The longer this goes on with Maldonado with no serious punishment the more difficult it’s going to get to penalise him in a manner that properly addresses the way his driving his sub-standard; not just to punish Maldonado but to set a clear precedent to all drivers.

Personally, I’m not sure today’s incident alone necessarily warranted a grid penalty or worse but clearly his driving and attitude to incidents is such that he needs to be shown how not to act.

One could argue that Lewis Hamilton was just as bad last year and should have been similarly penalised but He not only acknowledged his errors (at least one some occasions) but appears to have learned his lesson this year.

Personally, as bad as anything this year, what Maldonado did in Spa in 2011 was a disgrace and he should have been much more heavily punished – after all Michael Schumacher was disqualified from the 1997 championship for one move when at least the championship was at stake there. We already have a percent for the type of sanction that could be applied for just one incident but in Maldonado’s case the number of incidents is rising.

Where do Williams go from here – their hands could well be tied by Maldonado’s sponsorship money they clearly depend on so can we really see the team dealing with this effectively? The FIA must act swiftly and appropriately in my opinion before other drivers’ races are ruined and, much worse, someone is hurt by driving of Maldonado’s standard since he joined F1.

Again, the point is not just punish Maldonado but to set a clear precedent to the rest of the field.
Bananas

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On this day in F1

A year ago today the British Grand Prix was mired in a row over the FIA’s attempts to limit the use of exhaust-blown diffusers. The FIA backed down and agreed that teams would be allowed to retain them until the end of the season, following the Silverstone race.

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Keith Collantine
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144 comments on “Maldonado hits back at “crying” Perez”

  1. Sorry PM, the Monaco incident wasn’t “normal” by any means.

    1. He has to realise that because of his previous incidents, he has to be more careful. But I don’t think he has the brains for that. Yes, for anyone else it would have been seen as a racing incident, but MAL needs to wake up.

    2. I am yet to see conclusive proof that it was anything more than an accident.

      1. Chris (@tophercheese21)
        9th July 2012, 13:08

        I agree with you. :)

        However, Perez left more than enough room for Pastor to hold his line and carry on, but i guess Pastor just couldn’t control his rear end of his car. And i think Pastor should have yielded the position to Perez, and tried to get it back in the subsequent corners.

        But I am getting fed up with him crashing into people all the time. Like, he says “Oh well that’s just racing”. Well, no Pastor, sorry mate, but you’re getting into incidents far too often for this to be considered safe.

        25 000 Euro fine fully deserved considering his past behavior (Monaco 2012, Valencia 2012) just to name a few.

        1. @tophercheese21

          25 000 Euro fine fully deserved considering his past behavior (Monaco 2012, Valencia 2012) just to name a few.

          PM got a $10,000 fine.
          It was KK who got the $25,000 fine for injuring his pit crew.

          Otherwise I agree with the COTD. Pastor races the way most ppl do online.

          1. Chris (@tophercheese21)
            9th July 2012, 14:54

            Oh sorry, I thought Pastor got the 25k fine. My mistake. If anything it should have been the other way around! With Pastor getting the 25k fine.

    3. I’m going “Bananas” on this one.

      1. My first COTD – get in! Now to try and get one with no typos…

        1. this is bananas :-) Your post sums up nicely what we were discussing!

    4. For sure it was clear it was not intentional.

      Yeah Pastor, for sure…

      I think that Maldonado is missing a very important point here. It doesn’t matter whether it’s intentional or not. What matters is whether or not it’s your fault. You can still damage somebody else’s car, you can still hurt or even kill someone without intending it, just by being reckless and stupid.

    5. Spa 2011… how did he got away with that?

      1. @jcost – The stewards reprimanded Hamilton at the time. They obviously felt he played a part – however unintentional – in provoking Maldonado.

        At the time, the circuit was wet, but a drying line was appearing, and lap times were rapidly dropping. Maldonado made a mistake at the entry to the chicane, but his sector times were still good enough for him to better his position despite it.

        However, his mistake opened the door for Hamilton, who muscled his way through and forced Maldonado off the drying line and onto the damp circuit. This cost Maldonado a lot more time, and he obviously felt that Hamilton had ruined his lap time. If Hamilton had not forced his way through, he probably would not have made it into Q3, but even if he stood to gain ten positions when Maldonado only stood to gain two, it doesn’t give him the right to compromise another driver’s lap time.

        That doesn’t exonerate Maldonado from any wrongdoing, but it is the view that the stewards took. They believed that Maldonado attacked Hamilton because Hamilton compromised his lap. The difference is that it wasn’t a cold, calculated and deliberate move, but a hot-headed decision made in the heat of the moment.

        Maldonado didn’t “get away” with anything. The stewards still penalised him. But they weren’t harsh on him – probably on the advice of the drivers’ steward – because they felt he got angry and did something stupid.

        1. @prisoner-monkeys

          But they weren’t harsh on him

          The odd thing here is the stewards at least gave the impression they thought they were being harsh on Maldonado:

          In view of the serious nature of the incident the stewards have decided under Article 18.1 to apply two penalties.

          See: Maldonado and Kobayashi fined after incidents

          But the fact is neither of his ‘penalties’ are a serious deterrent. A reprimand is the equivalent of wagging your finger at someone disapprovingly and carries about as much force. And the fine will be paid from the spare change in Hugo Chavez’s back pocket.

          1. @keithcollantine

            A reprimand is the equivalent of wagging your finger at someone disapprovingly and carries about as much force.

            It’s not the worst penalty, but don’t forget 3 reprimands equal a 10-place grid drop. He’s already got 2.

            I think a reprimand makes sense for this incident. It was his fault, but it’s a driver error that can happen to anyone when racing so closely. Definitely can’t be compared to some other incidents, which were just stupid.

          2. @enigma

            I think a reprimand makes sense for this incident. It was his fault, but it’s a driver error that can happen to anyone when racing so closely. Definitely can’t be compared to some other incidents, which were just stupid.

            I agree entirely. Which is why I think the chorus of people calling for his racing licence to be revoked is extreme and unnecessary.

        2. The difference is that it wasn’t a cold, calculated and deliberate move, but a hot-headed decision made in the heat of the moment.

          In my opinion, had the FIA correctly punished Pastor with a one race ban for this none of these problems would be occurring today. As much as I am frustrated at Maldonado, I think the FIA could have prevented this problem (which it is, if Perez is right when he says pretty much all the drivers have a problem with him).

          PM, one of these days you might agree with the majority. Your description of the Spa 2011 incident is disappointing.

          1. @john-h – I don’t think Maldonado deserved a race ban then. The overhead shots clearly showed Hamilton pushing him off the dry line.

            Taken in isolation, the penalty might be a little light. But look at it in the wider context: Maldonado hadn’t really been involved in serious or regular altercations; meanwhile, Hamilton was in and out of the stewards’ office on a regular basis. The day after the incident with Maldonado, Hamilton crashed into Kobayashi, and then accused Kobayashi of wrongdoing without looking at the replay (and sheepishly taking it back when he did). And there were other incidences of Hamilton getting tangled up in incidents, like when he spun Maldonado out in Monaco, or hit Massa at the hairpin in the same race.

            If it was just one incident, then I’d be willing to write it off as an accident. And if it was two, I’d accept coincidence as a reasonable explanation. But when you get to three times, it’s a pattern. Looking at Hamilton’s 2011 season holisitically, he simply did not respect any of the other drivers, on track or off (except maybe Jenson Button). So if Hamilton wasn’t respecting Maldonado when they clashed in Monaco, and if he wasn’t respecting Massa when they tangled at the hairpin, and if he wasn’t respecting Kobayashi in the race at Spa, what eveidence is there that he was respecting Maldonado during qualifying for the race?

            I think Hamilton knew he had to make his flying lap count, and when he got to that chicane and saw Maldonado leave the door wide open, he took the opportunity and didn’t care what happened to the Williams. Sure, he was faster, but that didn’t give him the right to compromise another driver’s lap the way he did. And if he had not taken the opening and missed out on Q3, that would have been his problem because he didn’t pick the right moment to record a time.

            I have never said that Pastor Maldonado was not guilty of wrongdoing in Spa. I just said that I felt there were circumstances that might explain why he did it, and that those circumstances were strong enough to justify a leser penalty. If Hamilton hadn’t pushed Maldonado off the racing line, Maldonado wouldn’t have crashed into him. The stewards giving Hamilton a reprimand for it demonstrate that they felt the same way.

            And to this day, I believe that if Hamilton and Maldonado’s roles had been reversed in Spa, everyone would have called Hamilton deliberately crashing into Maldonado justified for the reasons I outlined above.

        3. @prisoner-monkeys I gotta admit: I love the way you formulate your opinions even when I completely disagree with you it’s pleasant to read your comments.
          PM, when I say get away with that I mean not being banned for at least a race.
          The Venezuelan PM must not only improve his racing behaviour but also how he presents his ideas before the media, saying “I’m sorry, I made a mistake” doesn’t harm anybody.

          1. @jcost

            when I say get away with that I mean not being banned for at least a race

            The stewards clearly felt that Maldonado lashed out in anger because he felt Hamilton robbed him of a better lap time (and grid position) by forcing him out onto the wet circuit, and that he would not have lashed out if Hamilton had not pushed him aside.

            If, however, they felt that Maldonado deliberately crashed into Hamilton to put him out of qualifying without any antecedent – like being forced wide at the chicane – then they would have banned him. Call it criminal intent if you will; if Maldonado had been planning to take Hamilton out, from, say, Blanchimont, then he would have had the full force of the stewards bearing down on him.

        4. @prisoner-monkeys how can keep defending Maldonado?

          1. @deurmat Maybe because everybody else blindly accuse Maldonado of being the aggressor in every single incident he has been in since Spa

        5. Maldonado should be banned. Like he was in 2005 for ignoring yellow flags and almost killing a marshal. He has zero respect for anyone and has proven it time and time again.

          Anyone who intentionally collides with other drivers should be disqualified from motorsport – in all its forms.

          I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again – the FIA are a pathetic joke of a governing body. So much for Action for Road Safety:

          The FIA’s Action for Road Safety is a global campaign, focusing the federation’s resources on helping it’s member organisations around the globe to educate and advocate for safer roads, vehicles and behaviours.

          Each year, 1.3 million people are killed on roads and another 50 million are injured, some of them very seriously. The FIA’s Action for Road Safety campaign aims to assist the United Nations in reaching the goal of saving five million lives on the world’s roads in 10 years.

          It’s all talk.

          1. Nick.UK (@)
            9th July 2012, 13:06

            @prisoner-monkeys

            The difference is that it wasn’t a cold, calculated and deliberate move, but a hot-headed decision made in the heat of the moment.

            I struggle to see how you see a difference between these two things. Both involve a driver reacting to a situation that is not acceptable. If a driver is unable to maintain focus and keep self control then he has no business racing with others at 200mph! After all, the man who kills his wife after finding her in bed with another man is not given a lesser conviction, it is murder and has a mandatory life sentence (UK law). This sets a standard to be adhered to by all. In Formula 1 there needs to be a comparable standard set. Maldonado is not fit for Formula 1. I don’t see how you can defend him so much. Sometimes I wonder if you are in face, Maldonado himself… lol.

  2. I think pastor maldonado thionks we’re all blind

  3. No fella, the thing in Monaco was not normal. Nor the one in Valencia nor the one in Spa last year. Chill out before you cause worse trouble.

  4. The more I hear Pastor Maldonado talk, the less I like him. Next time he’s at the orthodontist Williams should consider asking to have his jaws wired shut!

    1. Classic

  5. I wouldn’t put this incident in the same category as the others people are talking about. It was clear that Maldonado would have been able to go around the corner and not hit Perez had he not lost control of the car. This was not a lack of judgement error, it was a lack of skill error. They are not the same thing.

    1. No it was a lack of judgement because he deliberately left his braking to late.

      1. Precisely.

        Schumacher hit Senna from behind not because he couldn’t stop the car. That’s just a consequence of the fact that he found himself too late on the brakes there. Same thing with Maldonado & Perez. Maldonado hit Perez because he lost control of the car and, in order, lost control of the car because he misjudged the braking period there while trying to keep ahead of Checo. Simple as that.

        Lack of judgement comes with the lack of skill.

      2. It’s difficult to say so considering the camera view wasn’t the best and they didn’t show any onboard shots.

        I still maintain it wasn’t a blatant mistake, the car slide a bit and he overcorrected it. Perez “happened” to be right on his side, and they touched.

        Not making excuses for Maldonado, he’s been absolutely disgusting recently, but this one isn’t in the same level…

        1. Agree but I think it was an “avoidable incident”

          1. Nearly all crashes are “avoidable incidents” – the only problem is that to avoid them you don’t race.

            I don’t understand the current obsession with fingering someone with blame every time two high speed, on the edge, racing cars come together – that’s F1.

    2. When he gets desperate, he crashes.

      1. I personally felt that Maldonado saw Perez was going to attempt to go round the outside in order to block Maldonado’s approach to the 2nd apex of the chicane. Therefore, Maldonado elected to enter the left hander 10mph quicker than on any previous lap knowing his car would slide into Perez’s. The guy is dangerous! He has a haughty spoilt manner on the track that probably and a sense of entitlement that comes from getting your own way all the time through wealth and the leverage it brings. After winning in Barcelona he has really let himself and F1 down with his behaviour and I am utterly shocked that old Frank has not torn a strip off him for it!

    3. Yet, if you add lack of skill, overly aggressive driving, and moronic temper together, what do you get? Not a Super License, usually.

      1. In fact, I don’t think I ever saw him scrap for position cleanly (bearing in mind this is the first year I’ve watched F1 in a while).

        1. Raikkonen did alright(on several occasions), as did many others.

          1. 1 of the 3
            9th July 2012, 8:06

            I’d have to say that Raikkonen has indeed done alright.
            Let’s hope: 1) Raikkonen qualifies better 2) Grosjean cuts out the small/huge mistakes that are costing him dearly 3)no random car failures and bad team strategy.
            I think if these and some other things happen we’ll see Lotus challenging Alonso-Red Bull for wins.
            Alonso/Ferrari are super dangerous at the moment – so Lotus could really help keep this championship intense. But Alonso’s success and consistency are going to be very difficult to handle…

    4. disgruntled
      9th July 2012, 3:15

      I disagree. Pastor wouldnt have lost control if Sergio wasnt on the outside of him. A sign that he over does himself when he’s in danger of being passed. Patrick Head needs to sit him down for a stern talk. On the positive side PSDVA are getting good publicity from all these collisions

      1. Like a Grandfather with a pack or Werther’s? Patrick Head has retired…

        1. disgruntled
          10th July 2012, 4:35

          I know and that dosent matter if his retired.. he needs a talk to by head…no one else could do it to his effect

    5. Look, Maldonado is obviously a loose cannon.
      But at the same time, consider the BBC commentary on Weber’s pass of Alonso: They talked of one experienced, capable driver having enough trust in the guy he’s passing to go around on the outside. Anyone who places a similar measure of trust in Maldonado is crazy. Wait for a better place to pass.
      Is it fair that a wild driver earns that kind of berth? No, but is it wise to instead risk getting knocked out of the race? Of course not.
      Give Maldonado a wider berth and let him take himself out of the race with his antics. The bad drivers always do, eventually.

      1. +1

        Alonso vs. Hamilton was a cutting-hedge battle for P1 but both cars came out unscratched because both drivers trusted and respected each-other.

      2. Anyone who places a similar measure of trust in Maldonado is crazy.

        True.

  6. Formula 1 has gotten soft, a driver cant even have a shot at overtaking without the pressure of “if you **** this up your getting penalised”
    What ever happened to “racing incident”?

    1. But in the deadly game of football that’s ok is it? You ****-up your tackle, hit the player and not the ball, you get penalised.

      But not F1 – nah, that’s just really fast cars – nothing to worry about there…

    2. Traverse Mark Senior (@)
      9th July 2012, 17:08

      @dmcobern
      Rule are rules. In combat sports if you low blow or head butt your opponent (either on purpose or by accident) you will be penalised, so I see no reason why a driver who ruins another drivers race by crashing into him and consequently retires him from a race shouldn’t be penalised.

    3. What ever happened to “racing incident”?

      “Racing incident” was never (and never will be) an efficient method of justifying an outcome of an accident. Times change, F1 has grown and changed, and so must the rules. Nowdays, cars are so much more expensive and teams “time and effort” in building them is so much more valuable (not to mention cars are a lot more fragile). If you take out another driver (or yourself) by being inconsiderate and clumsy, you have robed the entire team of potential rewards they were due. Thus appropriate action needs to take place.

  7. “It’s very tough but it’s great to see Fernando [Alonso] still in the championship battle. From the sporting point of view, it’s good to see Lewis losing some points, Sebastian [Vettel] too. But it is also good to see Felipe [Massa] having a good performance today because we have jumped the classification on the constructors’ side and that is very good.”

    I’ve been a vehement critic of Ferrari and Alonso in the past, but I’m warming to them this year. I can now truly understand why people respect Alonso so much; I never could until now, because he was spoiled by Flavio Briatore.

    I really do hope Alonso wins the title this year. We’re only nine races in, but he already deserves it. He’s not coming out in the last two minutes of qualiying, going half a second faster than everyone else and then smirking at the camera. I get the feeling that he and Ferrari have had to fight tooth and nail for every single point they’ve scored so far, which is a gargantuan achievement given where the team was at the start of the season.

    1. Magnificent Geoffrey (@magnificent-geoffrey)
      9th July 2012, 9:46

      2011-2012 Alonso is infinitely more likeable than 2006-2010 Alonso.

      I still want WEBBAH to beat him, though.

      1. I think the 2011-12 Alonso is the same as the 2006-10 Alonso. He just hasn’t been involved in an controversies recently.

        I also hope Alonso wins the title as he has easily been the best driver of the season so far, that and he’s also my favourite driver along with the Sauber drivers.

  8. Maldonado looks more and more like a spoiled brat, to be honest. The kind who thinks having a decent amount of money and some skill comes along with an “all is permitted / all is forgiven / get out of jail free” card.

    Someone, either Williams or the FIA needs to apply a serious reality-check to this guy before he puts himself in the middle of “a big one” and brings a ****storm upon the whole sport. And with that in mind, a better PR move for him would have been to admit his share of the fault so far and try to make up for his recklessnes at least in front of the media, instead of jumping at Perez’s throat like that. Ah well…

    1. Matt (@agentmulder)
      9th July 2012, 3:19

      That’s probably the biggest thing I don’t understand from today, bar “why hasn’t the FIA suspended this guy yet?”

      What did Pastor expect Sergio to do? Not long ago, Maldonado decided to play bumper cars with Perez because, in Maldonado’s mind, Sergio disrespected him in some way. Fast forward a few races, and Perez once again finds himself being hit (this time with terminal damage) by the exact same guy, and gives an angry interview after.

      As much as I agree with Perez that Maldonado is dangerous and needs to learn to contain the red mist, I’m almost certain Pastor never meant to hit Perez today. He defended over-optimistically, lost control, and bumped him. All he had to do after the race was go up to Perez, be amicably, say “my bad” and move on. Instead he acts like his faultless and more or less tells Perez to quit being a *****.

      Actually, as I write this, I think I might understand why. Williams’ continued support of Maldonado and the FIA’s lack of serious action is probably enabling all this. Since neither have given him more than a slap on the wrist for very serious infractions. Apparently, causing an avoidable accident is worth 2/5 the penalty for locking up and hitting your own pit crew.

      While intentionally ramming a competitor or driving dangerously in the past disqualified drivers from the WDC (like Schumacher), or saw their license suspended (Senna), or completely revoked (Ide), now it’s only worth a 10 place grid drop both the first and second time around.

      Seeing this, Pastor now sees himself as untouchable, immune from any meaningful penalty. Grid drops are mostly meaningless with the Pirelli rubber being what it is, Williams won’t drop him because Lord knows they need the money, and the FIA sit by thumb firmly implanted in their rectum. Someone needs to knock this kid down a few pegs before he causes a major incident that could lead to an injury or worse.

      1. @agentmulder

        That’s probably the biggest thing I don’t understand from today, bar “why hasn’t the FIA suspended this guy yet?”

        Because he hasn’t done anything to justify a suspension.

        Okay, he was involved in an incident in Valencia that put Hamilton out of the race, and he was involved in an incident at Silverstone that put Perez out of the race. Fair enough; I can see your grievance.

        On the other hand, Kamui Kobayashi was invovled in an incident in Valencia that very nearly put Felipe Massa out of the race. And he was involved in an incident at Silverstone that saw him plough into three of his mechanics.

        Why isn’t anyone calling for Kobayashi to be banned?

        1. Might want to add Grosjean in Australia to the list aswell.

          1. And why not Monaco as well?

          2. Grosjean got his act straight since Monaco. And the nature of the incidents he got involved in is of a different sort compared to what Maldonado is doing on track.

            As for Koba, he generally finds himself in delicate situations while attacking someone / almost never in defensive positions. He’s somehow showing a bit of a Hamiltonesque behaviour. I’d qualify him as a bit too eager rather than reckless.

            Both Koba and Grosjean are showing improvements in their behaviour on track. Grosjean was less careless in the last 3 GPs than he was at the start of the season and Koba is less agressive and a bit more calculate now than he was last year. Maldonado upped his incident / penalties rate since last year already and it’s not even mid-season yet. That of course wrapped up nicely in a stuck-up, ignorant attitude towards every other driver on the grid.

            So, apples and oranges in both cases, to be honest.

            Plus: Maldonado had the same kind of controversies surrounding him in every competition he ever entered. in WSR – the 4 race ban and the Monaco organisers’ intention of giving him a lifetime-ban from the circuit, in GP2 when he was accused he intentionally binned it at Monaco after setting the pole time etc.

            Add that up to what he’s doing now in F1 and it has to raise some questions about how and why this guy still has a superlicence.

          3. i meant Maldonado took Grosjean out of the race in Australia clipping his wheel.

          4. @Grigor My bad. Didn’t pay full attention when I first read the comment. :)

            It still applies though as both Grosjean and Koba’s names have been used in the same sentence with Maldonado’s a lot this weekend.

          5. @tony031r no worries, i was a bit vague with what i meant.

          6. @tony031r I didn`t knew that Maldonado was involve in all those incidents, certantly it sets a precedent for his behavoir.

            While I agree that the incident was an accident or mistake this time around, two times is a concidence three is soemthing more, maybe FIA should think in a more severe way to punish him, since the money he is usin to rance is not his money, maybe they should suspend him for a race or two. That will hurt him.

  9. Mal is just like a little kid that just repeats you insult back at you “no your a idiot” “no it was hamiltons fault”(even though i wasn’t even on the track. what this spoiled brat needs is a ban from 1 or 2 races. I think 3 would teach him and his employeers a lesson. They wouldn’t baby coddle him then if he lost them the chance to earn points.

  10. Ban, someone please BAN PM…

    1. Why? He hasn’t done anything bannable.

      When Michael Schumacher crashed into Jacques Villeneuve at Jerez in 1997, he was excluded from the championship. The FIA did not revoke his racing licence. All Pastor Maldonado did was go into Brooklands a little too quickly for his (and Perez’s) own good. That’s hardly a bannable offence.

      The most recent driver to have his superlicence suspended was Yuji Ide, back in 2006. The FIA revoked it after he collided with Christjian Albers at Imola, resulting in Albers cartwheeling through the gravel trap. But Ide’s licence wasn’t revoked because of the clash with Albers. It was revoked because the FIA felt he wasn’t experienced enough. He had virtually no single-seat racing experience outside Formula Nippon, which at time was not recognised by the FIA as one of the series that a driver can earn a superlicence from. He was, on average, eight seconds off the pace of the fastest drivers in qualifying – compared to Charles Pic, who was three seconds off the pace in Valencia (Silverstone having been wet). The FIA pulled Ide’s licence because they felt he simply could not compete in Formula 1.

      There is simply no basis for revoking Maldonado’s licence.

      1. @prisoner-monkeys I’m glad you’re speaking some sense, I agree with everything you’re saying but I’m tired of putting it into words!

        Fact is, he’s a race winning F1 driver and it will take more than a few mistakes to revoke his super-license, and rightfully so.

        1. I would say deliberately crashing into competitors twice within the space of the year is sufficient enough. Ofcourse, now they have failed to sufficiently punish him on either of those 2 situations, anything less than another similar incident (not unlikely) will lead to increasingly leniant punishments.

      2. Aditya Banerjee (@)
        10th July 2012, 14:17

        PM supporting PM
        Expected nothing else

    2. nah, @prisoner-monkeys is a cool guy

      1. Lmao Pastor and Prisioner share the same initials hehehe I’m sure your laughing at it now :)

  11. Personally, I’m with Eddie Jordan when he says this incident isn’t a particularly bad one. But Maldonado can’t afford to keep making mistakes or getting involved in accidents like this. He has a lot to learn if he wants to be counted amongst “good” drivers.

  12. I Love the Pope
    9th July 2012, 3:49

    It seems that Formula One drivers need five things in order to succeed: Experience (start karting early), Confidence (absolute belief that you can win), Courage (to take a chance when one should), Patience (to not take a chance when one shouldn’t), Self-Mastery (to not allow emotions to overthrow reason). Pastor certainly seems to lack the latter three. Some may argue that he is courageous, but that would be a misunderstanding of the word, for in lacking patience and self-mastery, his courage is mere recklessness.

    1. Right on on MAL.

      Checo also fell short on one of these during the race (patience) and another one (restraint or self-mastery) after the race. He needs just focus on Qualy and on bringing home the points his team deserves.

  13. Agree with Bananas on Maldonado, but there’s another driver who’s racking up the penalties for avoidable collisions, but in this case it’s almost as if it amounts to “flair”. Kamui Kobayashi. While admittedly missing the (probably) deliberate edge that some of Maldonado’s crashes have, he has consistently been involved in carbon fibre being scattered across the track this year and last. Bananas’ staement aimed at Maldonano could well apply to Koby aswell: “One could argue that Lewis Hamilton was just as bad last year and should have been similarly penalised but He not only acknowledged his errors (at least one some occasions) but appears to have learned his lesson this year.”

    Funny how being “cool” like Koby keeps the fans from opening their eyes, whilst “Menacing Maldo” (he still reminds of Jaws from the Bond films btw) is considered as a pay driver, which is “uncool”.

    Once again, I agree with everything said about Maldo, but widen the field of vision a bit and you’ll see there is a problem with the “playstation generation” up and down the pitlane. In my opinion. Cheers.

    1. To me, Hamilton along with Maldonado and Kobayashi are the most erratic Formula One drivers. However, Hamilton this year seems a little more reformed. Maldonado has become worse this year while Kobayashi was bad this year and last.

      Thing is, Kobayashi makes these errors in an attacking postition, not like Hamilton and Maldonado. Anyways, people like Raikkonen, Alonso and Schumacher can also overtake without causing too much mayhem. Whatever said and done, these should be viewed as a part and parcel of racing. Unless they seem intentional. In this case, it wasn’t intentional for Maldonado I believe.

    2. Sorry, I’m not with you about Kobay. He’d made mistakes in the last two races but they were completely different in nature. In Valencia, he was trying to get past Massa and overcooked it. That’s not the same as over defending. He and Hamilton are the only drivers who can be trusted to always try an overtake when there’s a chance, and in 90% of the cases it works. See in Barcelona, a notoriously difficult track to pass: he made two difficult but impeccable manoeuvres (on Button and Rosberg). I think that’s the essence of the sport and should be encouraged.
      Now in Silverstone, he got caught by the lack of pit stop training in the dry. It was still a mistake but did not involve any other driver. It’s bad enough knowing you’ve hurt people of your team (and also lost some good championship points in the process), I’m not sure it deserved such a severe fine. Certainly not higher than Maldonado’s.

    3. Now in Silverstone, he got caught by the lack of pit stop training in the dry.

      By this logic all the drivers should have problems with the pit stops this arace, but it was only Kobayashi who run over his teammates.

      Kobayashi mades a lot of mistakes. But since people like him they are not trying to burn him like they are doing with Maldonado.

      I think that the penalty for Kobayashi was more expensive because people was actually hurt in this one. And that is fair, you literally just showed almost 500 billion viewersone car running over other people, so the penalty is fair.

      1. As I said before he did make a mistake, but that’s the first time this particular mistake happens to him. The same cannot be said about Maldonado.
        I don’t think Kobayashi is particularly prone to making errors, no more than the others running on the midfield, despite the fact that he ise more of an attacker than most. Maybe people don’t ‘burn him’ because he does not have a defiant attitude after he makes a mistake, unlike Maldonado who seems unable to take any responsibility for his actions

  14. I think Williams should get involved in this matter.

    No doubt they have one of the fastest drivers on the grid, but he need a lot of polishing before he becomes Champion material, and Maldonado certainly have all the requirements to become one.

    They have to get a coach or someone to build up his mental strength and stamina. As we know, this is something most of Flying Finns are born with, but most South American drivers have to acquire by hands on experience.

    It’s Williams who are the biggest looser here and this is 3rd time this season they fail to score major points.

    If you think Maldonado is crazy, just look at Senna in karting and even Formula 1. His way or highway.

    1. They do have a driver coach at Williams: Alexander Wurz.

  15. I know this isn’t popular sentiment, but I agree with Maldonado, this was a raceincident, nothing more.
    People are putting on the hate on Maldonado, and yes, he he has a lot of rough edges.
    BUt I rather like him, and his driving style, it livens up the race, a driver showing some balls.
    I remember Senna always saying someting like: you never back down, you see a gap you go for it, because the minute the other drivers think you’re the one who backs down it’s over.
    This is no different, Maldonado is a tough racer, does he cross the line occasionaly? Yes, but I kinda like having a bad boy in today’s paddock of goody twoshoes drivers all lining up like good little boys behind mr Ecclestones vision of F1.
    BUt does he deserve al this flack and does he deserve to be penelised every time he is involved in a racing incident, absolutly not.

    1. @melkurion Agree with you 100%. I like his aggressive style too

    2. Does he cross the line occasionaly? consistently? Yes, but I kinda like having a bad boy in today’s paddock of goody twoshoes drivers all lining up like good little boys behind mr Ecclestones vision of F1.
      BUt does he deserve al this flack and does he deserve to be penelised every time he is involved in a racing incident, absolutly not.

      I agree. I’m neither a fan or hater of him, but he always seems to be a talking point.

    3. That’s ludicrous. You simply can’t have a driver on the grid that has the mentality of Maldonado. Not only does he intentionally use his car as a weapon (See Spa and Monaco), he also doesn’t see anything wrong with it, and denies any allegations made against him, when it’s so clear what he’s doing.

      You can have rivalries on the grid without having the fear that a driver may eventually cause a serious incident and injuries. Just look at Hamilton and Alonso last race, and Alonso and Webber.

      1. Senna?

    4. I would urge people to watch this incident again and then compare the amount of room Webber gave Alonso to the amount of room Perez gave Maldonado. Frankly, if you’re overtaking someone you have a responsibility to yourself not to put your car in a dangerous position just as the guy you’re overtaking has the responsibility not to “move twice”. Perez simply squeezed Maldo too much so that when he had a slight loss of control he had nowhere to go. When Webber overtook Alonso, Alonso locked up and subsequently missed the apex but Webber was far enough out that it didn’t matter.

      Maldonado has had his issues this year and Monaco was total brain fade (for which he was penalised immediately) but for the most part it’s nothing that others haven’t done (Hamilton in 2011 as many have mentioned).

      Also, consider this incident in context with Schumacher on Barrichello at Hungary in 2010 and even Rosberg defending “aggressively” in Bahrain before calling for a ban. Totally over the top!

      1. I’ve watched the replays several times now and the significant difference between the two is Alonso had the sense not to go into the corner faster than the car was capable of going around it.

        Neither Webber nor Perez gave their rivals much room. But they gave them enough, which is exactly what one would expect of them. Of the four, only Maldonado fell short of showing the ability to race wheel-to-wheel at this level.

        1. I think that’s what it comes down. Maldonado doesn’t have the skill or temperament to race wheel to wheel consistently without causing incidents. He’s quick – there’s no doubting that – but he doesn’t have the car control or the mental strength.

          1. disgruntled
            10th July 2012, 4:47

            his got no racing temperance

  16. not Hero to zero, hero to villain.

    1. @eggry – It’s often said that stories are only as good as their villains.

      1. It helps if the villain has some charm though.

  17. Ferrari and Red Bull improved a lot with different exhaust upgrades while Mclaren haven’t brought any so far. They need to bring something for that area if they want to stay in fight.

  18. I hate PM. I think he’s an idiot.
    But, once in a while, we need a Captain Bonkers.
    We had some in the past e.g. Alessi but then again he was way smarter than this buffoon.
    Hamilton last season was thought to be in the same league and now he has changed tremendously.
    I guess it all requires a little maturity.
    With F1 drivers starting younger these days, you are bound to get more of these incidents.

    1. Kobayashi? Still fairly bonkers.

    2. Aditya Banerjee (@)
      9th July 2012, 17:21

      Younger? Maldonado, Petrov and Kovalainen made their debuts at 25, Senna at 26 and that’s not young. Compare them to the likes of Raikkonen(21), Alonso(19), Massa(20), Button(20) and Hamilton(22, and fairly experienced by then)!!

    3. I don’t remember hearing about Jean Alesi having a bad reputation?

      1. Only when it comes to refuelling! :P

  19. Alluding to the Vettel Autosport article, I am pretty surprised that RBR weren’t in a position to carry on from Valencia. Usually one they find something, it sticks. I guess the weather on Saturday won’t have helped, Vettel and Webber looked just as uncomfortable as everyone else, except Alonso of course!

  20. What’s wrong with Woking boys? Two races ago Hamilton was on fire in Canada with a very competitive package. In Valencia HAM made a very good Q3 to start at P2 but his race pace was not good enough to compete with Vettel or to hold off Lotuses (plus a another disastrous pit stop cost his dearly) but he could aspire a top 5 finish if managed to “survive Maldonado”. OK, just a bad day, “we’ll bounce back”.

    Then comes Silverstone, the long awaited update package to regain their early season form arrives but rain comes too and Jenson grabs a spot surrounded by HRTs, Marussias and the like while Lewis fails to get his Inters working. On Sunday… Ferrari and Red Bull show very good pace and Lotus is clearly in their league while McLaren is not, suddenly Button is not a WDC contender anymore and Hamilton is two races away from seeing himself in the same position, unless something magical happens.

    1. @jcost – I still think the weather decides which teams going to perform good or bad, Mclaren was good in the cool, damp, wet conditions on saturday, but struggled in the heat on sunday.

      Look at the fastetst times they did on the track:
      Saturday (Track 17-24 Celsius): Button 1:32.320 on primes, Hamilton 1:32.477
      Sunday (Track 29-33 Celsius): Button 1:36.086 on primes, Hamilton 1:36.173

      Now I know we dont know the fuel loads, but the difference is 4 seconds, that is huge, laptimes usually dont drop that mutch over a race!

      My point is mybe Mclaren has a very big problem with the temperatures, not fundamentally with the car. Other cars struggling in the cold (not that mutch, but still), Mclaren in the heat. It was the same last year, but then Mclaren had a clear advantage to others, exept for RB. They were strong in the cold Canada, Hokkenheim, Hungary, the other races they won was hugely dependent on luck, China – the introduction of the cliff, Suzuka – Button had no fuel at the end of the race, still Alonso and Vettel were faster than him at the end, AbuDhabi – Vettel out in T1, then Hamilton struggled to fend off Alonso. This year it is the same, we just dont get so many cold races, and the field is bunched up, so nothing new really, just unxpected.

  21. For Sauber & Checo what matters is to find a way to neutralize PM’s loonie ways and Checo’s own inconsistency. This means better execution by Checo and improved strategy including Quali. Especially Sergio needs to consistently beat himself, his teammate, and MAL in that order, then the rest of the field. Sauber needs points and positive TV time. Results rule.

    Penalizing MAL gives Sauber no points.
    Crying out, blaming or polemic TV time gives Sauber no points. Maybe some mktg.

    MAL will flame out from F1 on his own, hopefully not hurting anyone along the way.

    1. @aquataz68, let me guess: you’re from Venezuela!

      1. actually, no, :-) Mexican.
        Can’t wait to see Checo get the points consistently, and that requires better execution by himself and team in Quali and Race. Other drivers are there to be fairly passed on the way to points.

  22. Maldonado says ” I think we need to value when it is intentional and when it is not”
    Is this an admission that some of his previous moves were intentional?

    1. @ben73 Hehhe. Spa 2011 was intentional, Valencia 2012 looks intentional… Yesterday? Doesn’t look like.

    2. Funny thing is, F1 DOES consider the concepts of intention, and (as far as I am concerned) does consider the unique aspects of each crash. Though I do not often agree with their assessments, they do review the films, and take input from ex-driver/guest stewards.

      While I dont like the outcome, I cannot argue with the process; and really, what do I know, Ive never even touched an F1 car

  23. andrew_s (@)
    9th July 2012, 9:07

    I truly believe that a precedent has already been set in terms of bad driver behavior by the (in my eyes) lax response by the race stewards and FIA.
    This applies not only to Maldonado, but to other drivers who have transgressed too.

    1. No reason to let it continue though.

      1. andrew_s (@)
        9th July 2012, 14:13

        I agree Ben, however, any decision made now to punish drivers will be compared to the “precedent decisions” of previous transgressions.

        A bit of a slippery slope methinks.

  24. sid_prasher (@)
    9th July 2012, 10:57

    I think after a few repeat incidents, the team should get penalized – they should be able to reign in the crazy defending/ overtaking from their drivers.
    This one would have gone off as a racing incident if not for his past misdemeanors. The worst part is he keeps saying he lost control – that doesn’t reflect well on an F1 driver!

  25. As far as I can tell, Maldonado only really did an intentional dangerous move in Spa, and he should’ve had a MUCH harsher penalty then, and in Monaco where it was a bit more clumsy than angry, but blocking off Perez like that could’ve had far worse repercussions.

    In Valencia, he did have to come back onto the track at some point as it was a corner that comes back in on itself so that seems more like a racing incident, and with Silverstone I actually think it was Perez’s fault and Pastor’s getting the blame more because of his history.

    It defies logic to intentionally crash with other cars in the race as you end up going backwards yourself – it’d be a stupid policy to take that kind of risk and i’m sure Williams would stamp it out if it existed (and that’s not even thinking about the safety risk to the drivers!)

  26. All you can do is laugh, there is definitely something fishy going on in my opion, how a driver can go around driving people off the road in crashes then walk round blaiming everyone else with insults then receive a penalty that is peanuts to there (or someone elses bank account) has all the hall marks of brown envelopes filled with `paper` and secret meetings after dark.

    Mark my words it will all end in tears.

  27. Sorry if this has already been mentioned, but I believe last year’s British GP took place on 10 July, whereas today is 9 July.

  28. Well most of posts above appear as double standards to me. People call Lewis as a tough racer, but I dont really remember knowing an incident where Lewis would accept defeat with a competitive machine. It would either be Lewis coming on top or someone would end up biting the dust (even both). If someone calls that fair racing, calls all those as racing incidents, then I don’t see why you can’t accept PM’s incident yesterday as a racing incident. If Lewis makes himself as a unforgiving defender and an aggressive attacker, then whats wrong in someone else doing the same???? Lewis got plenty of reprimands, now its time for Maldonado to get some.
    End of story.

    1. I don’t think the problem is in yesterday’s incident, it’s all the others Pastor’s been involved in this year.

  29. It would be so great if they penilize Maldonado and ban him for one race. BotAs would be the drivder and god know he probably will win a race with that Williams. I’m pretty sure that if was a decent driver in that car, he would be fighting for the championship. The Williams is fast , it is the 1,2 ,3 ,4 fastest car in f1 but the driver are bad, mediocre, irregular and mistake prone. Also that Williams take good care
    Of the tire. If I’m frank Williams I will give BotAs two races as the gp driver before the end of the season. One race substituting senna and the other Maldonado. That way the team can compare BotAs with each of the drivers and make a decision about which one needs to be kick out. If Chavez lose the election buy, buy Maldonado. There is not more petro-dollars for you.

  30. McLaren are getting a very easy ride in the press given their dire performance. Remember the pressure Ferrari came under at the start of the season? McLaren seem to be in a nose dive, yet very few questions are being asked. Maybe that’s actually a symptom of the malaise in the team, lower expectations: Ferrari themselves were frantic with the poor performance and clearly the media pick up on this. McLaren instead announce that they’re not worried because they’ve got a tenth of a second worth of upgrades for the Silverstone… and we’ve seen the amazing results. It’s the apathy that annoys me most. And also the gut feeling that the team works around Button, which accounts for the spin into free fall. Trying to resolve the problems of an underperforming driver looks a seriously wrong turn. Hamilton would be mad to sign on for more of the same – because does it really look like McLaren will ever recover their last good form, 2007-08?

  31. After just reading Pastor on autosport, I instantly thought of Einstein`s quote on Insanity

    Insanity: doing the same thing over an over again and expecting different results.

    http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/101104

    1. Classic case of weak discipline from authority figures. Maldonado gets a negligible (for him) fine and takes this as actually confirmation that he did nothing wrong: the penalty is seen to be there to appease his rivals, no more.

    2. Aditya Banerjee (@)
      9th July 2012, 17:26

      And this was the man who was called a “genius” by former BTCC champion Tim Harvey. Though when it is spoken in a stretched way, it does sound like “Jenny Ass”.

    3. The thing that strikes me is the similarity, Valencia an Silverstone were almost identical in the way that He explains the accident, I was on the inside(even though I was overtaken) an lost grip because of the Kerbs/Damp patch next to it,

      If you look at MAL line into the left hander, even if PER wasnt there He would of slid off the track because off hes early apex an thus wide exit from the corner, I think Mal was trying to drive KOB wide through the corner like he did to Kimi on lap 2?

  32. What I don’t get is that quite a few people over here were criticising Hamilton that he should have given up the position or atleast make more room for Maldonado, even though Maldonado did went off the track. This time, Maldonado stayed in a very similar situation on the track, so he wasn’t this time wrong from the beginning, but I see nowhere people criticising Perez? I think we got some double standards running around.
    Don’t get me wrong either; Pastor was way too agressive again and he should have been punished far more harshly.

  33. People forget that Maldonado is in his first competitive year in F1, last years Williams was nowhere near the front runners, and a considerable way off the midfield runners aswell..

    All Maldonado is doing at the moment is what we’d call ‘rookie errors’, The mere fact that he is in positions where he is racing and that he isn’t holding back should be applauded. With time, he can learn what can and can’t be done, and the other drivers can choose to either keep giving him tight spaces where he’s got little or no chance to get through, or give him adequate room..

    As with the Valencia incident, I believe that Maldonado did not have control of his car at the time of the incident, and that can easily be backed up by the fresher tyres and a relatively green track.. It’s a shame to see him in so many incidents, but he clearly has the talent behind the wheel, we’ve seen that at various times in his career in F1.

    I’d actually compare him to what Hamilton was like before this year, quick, but needs to get his attitude both on and off the track right before he starts winning the masses.. If he can do something like whatever Hamilton did last winter to get him onto the straight and narrow, I think we could see a potential future champion…

    1. Except that Hamilton won over the masses from the off.
      Comparing the two doesn’t work, most of Hamilton’s mistakes have actually come down to Hamilton expecting too much – space, reaction, mutual respect, patience maybe – from other drivers. The collisions with Massa and Maldonado are classic examples. When Hamilton is racing with better racing drivers – Alonso, Webber, Button – the track fights can be great without any serious incident. Also Hamilton’s ‘bad boy’ image comes from a lot of successful passes and so on that were deemed to be rule infractions by stewards even when no collision occurred. Maldonado on the other hand tends to collide because (a) he lacks the talent to race wheel-to-wheel, and (b) sheer bloody-mindedness and sometimes vindictiveness. Very very different.

    2. All Maldonado is doing at the moment is what we’d call ‘rookie errors’.

      Except he’s not a rookie. Even though last season wasn’t a competitive one for him it was still a full season in F1. That translates into PLENTY of time to understand the car’s behaviour, the brakes, the tires, the rules and regulations and the spirit of the sport. He’s got no excuse.

      With time, he can learn what can and can’t be done.

      Again, he’s had plenty of time in F3000, WSR and GP2 to develop a respectful attitude towards other drivers. Which again he didn’t. Check his background and the controversies surrounding him in each of these competitions. Plus, Maldonado doesn’t really strike me as a learner.

      and the other drivers can choose to either keep giving him tight spaces where he’s got little or no chance to get through, or give him adequate room…

      So everyone should move out of the way just in case this nutter decides to overtake while negotiating a corner at twice the speed he should / without braking? And if so, how much room? There was enough room alongside Perez at Silverstone to avoid a collision. How did that turn out?

      As with the Valencia incident, I believe that Maldonado did not have control of his car.

      Fair enough. But I said it before: that lack of control didn’t come from nowhere. He put himself in situations that resulted in losing control of the car. Lack of judgement all the way.

      I think we could see a potential future champion…

      We could, but we won’t. I find it hard to imagine any team other than Williams would put up with Maldonado. And I think it’s safe to say Williams is not set to be a title contender in the near future, despite their lucky win this year.

      1. @tony031r

        Again, he’s had plenty of time in F3000, WSR and GP2 to develop a respectful attitude towards other drivers

        Though you alluded to it, I think you miss a point.
        As you mention, MAL’s last racing experience was in GP2, but in my opinion, GP2 does nothing to increase mutual driver respect. That series is really nothing more than a Demolision Derby where a driver does not win, but simply survives. MAL has simply failed to realize that such antics will not be tolerated in F1. Deep down, I think he is capable of great things, as long as he can control the immaturity that served him for so long in GP2.

  34. Widely reported today: “IOC President Jacques Rogge has ruled out Formula One as an Olympic sport, saying the games are about contests between athletes, not engines.”

    But what if all the olympic cars were identical, as the boats are in the sailing events? Would that not leave human skill as the deciding factor, just as it is in sailing, or cycling? Besides, motorsport is MUCH more popular than sailing or cycling.

    But the question of how olympic sports are selected is the deepest of mysteries. It certainly isn’t democratic.

    And if the games really are all about *human* athletic prowess, can we assume that the IOC will be doing away with all the (hugely expensive) equestrian events – in which the horses are far from equal?

    1. @rsp123 Surely what he meant to say was F1 cannot be classed as an Olympic event because it isn’t dull enough.

      At any rate, the IOC’s definition of what constitutes sport is laughable.

    2. Dear Jacques Rogge,

      We are exTending an invitation so you could sit in an F1 for half hour, SO YOU CAN SPEAK LATER if we are or not athletes.

      Sicerely,
      The GPDA

      1. Apprently Ball Room Dancing is on the shortlist for Olympic consideration.

    3. But what if all the olympic cars were identical

      We have that, its called NASCAR. In case you havent watched it, its really really boring, and a perfect fit for IOC.

  35. Maldonado has got a very aggressive driving style and unfortuantly at Silverstone, it went against him and he took too much speed and crashed into Perez. I would say 100% racing incident and that he needs to say sorry and make sure it doesn’t happen again. It just seems that no matter what Maldonado does, he is going to get slated by it. At Silverstone it was a racing accident and at the last grand prix I feel it was about 60/40 Maldonado’s fault. He is a good driver, as seen by winning in Spain and in lower formula’s, but he has a temper which needs to be calmed, for example, Lewis last year was aggressive to the point of what Maldonado is at now, he calmed down and this year he looks more mature. I can’t help but think but if someone sat Maldonado down and said “hey, it’s too much, just pick your options and take your time” he could be a good driver.

  36. being stupid is worst than being a cry baby. Maldonado is the new crash test dummy. #pay drivers suck!

  37. it’s call RACING ..and some time those things happen. The drivers should handle their self better instead of crying to the media.

  38. Sorry for the agro comment but “#MALDONADOGOHOME and take your money with you,. You have ruined to many races for others including yourself. Pérez in Monaco and Silverstone then Hamilton in Valencia. Plus your lack of control on the final lap in Oz. Don’t let one win go to your head !”

  39. I think the problem for Maldonado, more than anything he has done on track, is his attitude towards the incidents. He appears to think himself totally blameless, making excuses and in some cases blaming other people. It’s one thing for a driver to make mistakes, but it’s quite another to demonstrate a wilful blindness to your own mistakes, and show a complete unwillingness to modify your behaviour.

    It seems that at the moment Maldonado is too hot headed and it’s generally his mistakes which are causing the accidents he’s involved with. Until he acknowledges this, he’s going to keep on being a liability on the racetrack. I don’t think that a ban is deserved, but I do think some sort of heavy penalty against him may be appropriate if he doesn’t get his act together, or at the very least acknowledge that overtaking moves which have, at best, a 50/50 chance of ending in a crash, are not ‘normal’ and certainly don’t meet up with the high standards expected of drivers in the world’s premiere racing series.

    F1 is the pinnacle of racing; it’s where you graduate to when you’ve proven you’re capable of racing at that level in the lower formulae. While drivers new to F1 are seen as rookies, in terms of their racing experience they are anything but – usually having a good ten years of competition under their belts. While the craft of driving an F1 car is something which may take time for them to hone, the fact is that most of racecraft is universal. If you aren’t able to race aggressively without causing incidents, then your racecraft isn’t up to the standard expected of F1 drivers, and you have no place in an F1 car. F1 is not the place you should be learning how to race.

    1. “F1 is the pinnacle of racing; it’s where you graduate to when you’ve proven you’re capable of racing at that level in the lower formulae.”

      I dont think thats the case anymore. It seems the lower catagories is where you prove you have speed and nothing else. F1 teams (or atleast those in dire need of sponsorship) seem content with getting drivers who are fast but brainless. For an F1 team, a shock result, like Spain this year, is more important than getting a driver who is a bit slower but more consistent

      If having a good racing brain was a nessecity to make it into F1, Maldonado would never have made it here, especially on the back of his 9 race ban.

      Its going to be impossible, but it will be interesting come the end of the season, to see what Malfunctionado has cost Williams in direct money, as a result of his crashes/loss of points vs what he is bringing to the team.

  40. What worries me about Maldonado is that so far he has been lucky. I am dreading the moment when his luck or that of another driver he is racing runs out. Sooner or later it will happen with persistenly dangerous drivers like Pastor Maldonado, and its often the other guy who comes off worst.
    I am not saying Maldonado should be banned, nor am I suggesting that he is out of his depth. He proved his potential in Barcelona earlier in the year and he obviously is talented, but he is always running into other drivers and this is a problem. Someone at Williams should talk with him and straighten him out.

  41. Let´s take another perspective: I am Frank Williams, my driver is in the points zone, he is not moving forwards in the grid, in fact, he is struggling to keep up, he quickly lost one position gained to Kimi Rakkonen, we pit and then another driver comes and officially matches his position before the apex, and suddenly both drivers are in the grass. mine returns only to go back in the field in last position and manages to pass the back markers, after that he can only get mediocre times, I am off the points zone now.
    “innocent” race incident? WHO CARES! my car is off the points! I had a fighting chance before this “innocent mistake”, and looking back, it is not the first time this driver has ruined my pay day! I need a driver that will collect points, this is not an entertainment formula, I need points to show for and get leverage in negotiations.
    I need a fighter, not a hooligan, my car has proven to be a podium car, now some one has to get it far in the points zone CONSISTENTLY, he does have a chip in his shoulder and is not good for business. entertaining? great, but there are other drivers good at that, who actually finish races in the points zone with less than capable cars than mine, GP2 keeps pumping out candidates, there are options…there better be results.

    1. By the way, i meant to say: let´s pretend I am Frank williams, I am not really him. sorry

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