Pastor Maldonado was very positive after his first run in the Williams FW35 yesterday.
Maldonado described the car as being “completely different” to last year’s FW34. “This car seems to be more easy to drive, but easy doesn’t mean quick.”
“So we need to wait a little bit, we need more time to get at the bottom of the car. But the car seems to be very good.”
“Normally when the car is easy we try to make the car difficult,” he added. “Still we need to work on it.”
“There is a good feeling, but it is difficult to compare to last year’s one. Last year a couple of times the car was difficult to drive but at the same time was very quick. It’s completely different, the feeling. It looks like another car.
“For me I need to get used to this car as well, I need to have more confidence. I need to say that after two laps I was already trying to look where the limit was and was quite good: on braking, on traction, in the middle of the corner, quick corners, slow corners, it’s positive. This day is positive for us.”
Maldonado described the FW35 as “the best car I’ve had, especially in the first test, for the previous years.”
Williams is the only team that did not introduce their new car at the first test and Maldonado agrees they have a lot of work to do:
“There is improvement, a big one, for sure. It’s a step forward, I guarantee that. We need to work really hard on the car still.
“It’s quite young, the car. We didn’t try any different set-ups or different things in the car. We need to understand better tyres, to make work the tyres with this car. It’s still a long way to work but we are ready to improve and we are quite happy.”
Maldonado completed 86 laps in the car on its first day and ended up with the fifth-fastest time. He said the first day of running confirmed their expectations of the car: “We expected to have a quick car from the beginning because we see the correlation in the simulator between Jerez, old car, and new car.
“And we saw immediately in the simulator a good step forward and I confirm it here in Barcelona. It’s always difficult because you cannot simulate the track conditions, it’s always difficult.”
“I think it’s a very good start point for us,” he concluded. “Better than the previous two years but still it’s too early to say something about the performance and reliability, you know, we need mileage.”
“I think I’m going to enjoy with this car, in the season, we can do something good.”
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Image © Williams/LAT
BasCB (@bascb)
20th February 2013, 12:44
Yes, please. I want to see both Williams guys going for podium positions all year. And a couple of more wins would be very nice please (no Pastor, not crashing, its not the stewards making things up)!
Javier (@f1karting)
20th February 2013, 14:09
The Sun just found out that the captain of the Titanic, Edward Smith Maldonado, was a relative of Crashtor. He also mentioned: “ok, it was not my complete fault, the iceberg kept pushing me into the tiny ocean space I had left. What could I do? It was just defensive driving. Just a scratch” Damned stewards…
sumedh
20th February 2013, 12:52
How is every team saying that they are doing better than last year? Mercedes, Red Bull, Ferrari, Williams all are saying that they were at a worse stage same time last year.
Something doesn’t add up here. Someone has to say that they are doing worse now!
BasCB (@bascb)
20th February 2013, 13:07
its easy. All of them have better cars then they had at the same time last year. And probably their cars are a bit better than what they ended last year with. However it doesn’t say much (anything?) about their relative form compared to the others (who likely have also improved on their cars).
DavidS (@davids)
20th February 2013, 13:46
The rule changes haven’t been significant enough for a clean sheet design, and with 2014 having a major change, most cars are evolutions of 2012 cars. It would have to be a monumental stuff up for a car to be worse than the 2012 version.
Mind you, since it’s still testing, we don’t really have a clear picture on how the cars compare, as everyone is running through a test program, and they wouldn’t dare run the car in full qualifying trim to do a glory run.
Optimaximal (@optimaximal)
20th February 2013, 14:32
Well, it’s not like he’s made a move downwards like Lewis did.
Given how he’s been in the team that finished 9th in ’11 and 8th in ’12, it was hard to see it going backwards.
javlinsharp (@javlinsharp)
20th February 2013, 14:36
“the best car I’ve had”… All the better to CRASH with it, my dear…
testguy (@testguy)
20th February 2013, 15:00
Nah, you see, the protruding front wing on the FW35 will is designed to help flipping opponents.
Luc
20th February 2013, 21:49
@testguy
are you playing f1 (Mario kart)race stars, you’re obviously know Maldonado’s secret weapon;-)
Max Jacobson (@vettel1)
20th February 2013, 18:07
Actually, I saw a comment yesterday pointing out that ironically Grosjean’s car has a parking space reserved for it on the Willaims in the gap from the engine cover to the rear wing!
@HoHum (@hohum)
20th February 2013, 14:44
It’s the second car he has had.
@HoHum (@hohum)
20th February 2013, 14:45
Sorry ,third.
Wichard (@wapflap)
20th February 2013, 15:08
BOTTAS!
JoshJ8181
20th February 2013, 15:24
Well, I’m sure the car will be harder to driver (like he says they are trying to do) when they change out the illegal exhaust. Of course it feels great, the car is illegal.
JB (@)
20th February 2013, 15:24
I hope William have a good car this year…. It would be nice to see them mixing things up a bit at the top!
It´s just sad that both their drivers are plain… Maldonado may be quick but he´s as stale as a 2 day old beer… And Bottas, well, I really don´t know anything about him… but he´s Finish so I´m assuming he´s another of the quiet kind…
JayceB
20th February 2013, 16:55
I like how nationality defines how good the driver can be…..