Spanish GP : Q & A Pastor Maldonado

This weekend’s Spanish Grand Prix will be Pastor’s first GP in a Spanish-speaking country. Here’s how he assesses his chances.

Q: Pastor, what’s a realistic goal for you this weekend?
PM: I need to have a clean weekend, which means getting the most out of every on-track session and maximising the potential of the car. If I can do that, and the new parts work as we hope, than let’s aim for the points.

Q: Are you expecting the FW33 to make a big performance step here?
PM: We hope so, but we don’t know what new parts our rivals have brought here. All of the teams tested at Barcelona over the winter, so we all know this track with our current cars. I think this is the first time that we’ll get a real idea of the genuine competitiveness of our car.

Q: You have a good record at this track from other formulas. Does that give you extra confidence?
PM: Everything helps when you’re new to Formula One. I know Barcelona well, so I don’t have to waste any time on Friday morning learning the track. I can get straight down to assessing the new aerodynamic parts and the tyres.

Q: Pirelli have a new hard-compound tyre at this race. How will that affect performance?
PM: Until we use the tyre in a race, it’s hard to know. We tested it during Friday practice a few races ago, but its performance will be very different in the race. As the track rubbers in, its grip will change and it will feel different on maximum fuel too.

Q: A quick word on Rubens Barrichello. How’s your relationship with him evolving?
PM: Rubens is a funny guy. I really like his approach and his experience shines through immediately. I feel very good with him and we speak Spanish to each other, which is nice. His Spanish is pretty good!

Q: This is the first race of the year in a Spanish-speaking country. Does that make you feel at home?
PM: It’s very nice to hear people speaking Spanish, for sure. But there is also a big Venezuelan community in Barcelona and it’s fantastic to be racing in front of my own people. I hope many of them come to the race on Sunday.