“On Friday I was P13, and on Saturday morning with this package we were P2, so we improved by 11 positions. In the meeting before FP3, we decided to use the package anyway, just to see… It was very important for the factory just to get the feedback and how it behaved on the car. “The package was late for many reasons and only arrived on Saturday morning. It was quite big in terms of an aerodynamic change. “Really, everything was new… A new floor, new front wing, new rear wing, new sidepods. “When we arrived in Barcelona for the Spanish Grand Prix, we expected to have a new aero package,” says Maldonado. READ MORE: Pastor Maldonado and F1’s other ‘one-win wonders’ over the years Upgrades launch Williams into contentionĪfter that missed opportunity, Maldonado scored his first points of the season in China, sitting alongside a pair of solid top 10 finishes from new team mate Bruno Senna, but Williams were chasing more and, as the European season approached, excitement built at Grove over a raft of aerodynamic upgrades. That promise carried over to the Australia season opener, where Maldonado made it into Q3 and ran inside the top six positions until late in the race, crashing out during the final lap as he attempted to put pressure on Ferrari rival Fernando Alonso – a driver he would soon meet again.
It was very encouraging from a driving point of view, much more balance, and the reliability of the engine.” “We were trying to put it all together for the first test and I immediately felt that the car was much better than previously – much better. “Starting the year, the car was a little bit late, because of all the changes in very little time,” recalls Maldonado, speaking from his Monaco home.
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