Why Maldonado shouldn’t seek Pastors new away from F1

To many followers of F1, the news of Pastor Maldonado’s late payments to Renault in order to retain his 2016 race seat will be of no great shame. He is perceived by most as no more than a pay driver whose place on the grid is based on finance, not merit. So if he leaves the sport, it is at no great loss. But if he were to depart, I think Maldonado’s absence would be to the detriment of the paddock and to the viewers. Really I do.

In the week it was revealed that PDVSA, the Venezuelan oil company that don the livery of the now deceased Team Lotus- the former residents of Enstone, was overdue on its payments to the team. The late money standing at some £35million. Although thought by many as an inside leak in order to force the company to pay, it places Maldonado’s race seat in jeopardy. This is all thanks to the stumbling Venezuelan economy and the fall in oil prices. Whatsmore, following a factory tour, it seems that ex-McLaren driver Kevin Magnussen is breathing heavily down Maldonado’s back should an opening present itself to the Dane.

So with this in mind, why do I think, in the face of all the critics and having gained the nickname ‘Crashtor’ for his stunning retirement record, Maldonado should remain an F1 driver?

Well let’s not forget that no F1 driver can entirely depend on a wave of money to take them to the top. It has to be teamed, at least, with talent. And despite what many argue over the internet, this is the case for Maldonado. He won the 2010 GP2 Championship with two races to spare. He racked up a total of 5 wins beating the likes of Perez and Bianchi to the title. In this respect he joins the ranks of Hamilton, Rosberg, Hulkenberg and former teammate Grosjean. Those 4 names are regarded by many to make up 4 of the most talented racers competing in F1 at this moment in time. So Maldonado clearly possesses the raw pace, even if this is not complimented by his inconsistency or rash temperament.

Also, who can ignore his 1 and only Formula 1 victory around Cataluyna in 2012? Let’s not pretend that we weren’t all routing for him against home man Fernando Alonso. This was in part due to the fact that he was piloting a Williams. Very much the underdog against the Ferrari, and a landmark result for the British team which had seen a tragic fall from grace after their numerous 90s championships. But even still, it was the Venezuelan we all wanted to win and he duly delivered. And to continue in a similar vein, for what do people first remember the great Ayrton Senna? The 1984 race at Monaco where he drove a poor car to finishing position that was not accessible to the Toleman in any other circumstances, but Senna did just that and marked his arrival in F1. Call me a blasphemer, but is that achievement so vastly superior from Maldonado in the FW34? After all, Senna could only manage 2^nd place. The Williams was not a winning car, but Maldonado made it so. Therefore the talent is there and Maldonado shouldn’t be written completely off as worthy of being an F1 driver.

Top of the Pile: Spain 2012

Eddie Jordan has also voiced his support for Pastor, making him out to be a truly ‘nice-guy’ in the paddock. But this means little to you or me who have to make do with mere TV coverage, so let’s look for further reason to keep Maldonado racing for Renault. We do so by sticking with EJ, who said in the post-mortem of the 2012 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix that, “Pastor Maldonado, in my opinion, in the future [Williams] will have to get ready to pay him serious money because he is an emerging force as a driver and the major teams will be monitoring what he's doing because he has the potential to be a world champion.” Since then the years have clicked on, but even at the age of 30, Maldonado can still go on to be remembered as a force for good in F1, even if not delivering on EJ’s claim. This can be achieved with the deep pockets of Renault who now fund his mobile office. So if he retains his drive and Renault can develop a good chassis and take strides forward in their power unit, he will possess the platform to challenge for some serious points. Furthermore, the money at Renault’s disposal ensures that Maldonado’s money no longer provides a golden ticket to a racing career unlike its worth to Lotus. So with the pressure of Renault combined with the departure of Pastor’s experienced teammate, Grosjean, who makes way for F1 rookie Joyleon Palmer, the onus is on Pastor to deliver without the security of his sponsors’ pay outs. So for this season at least, stick him in the car and let him show us exactly what he can offer when his career is on the line. He now offers 5 full years of experience as a driver so let him prove his worth in a ‘do-or-die’ season.

Furthermore, with Grosjean having moved to Haas, the Renault will be Pastor’s to mould and develop. To clarify, let us turn our attention back to the 2014 season. As a Brit, I cannot help but be enamoured by Jenson Button, but even as a fan it is obvious to me that Kevin Magnussen’s raw talent could have easily put an end to JB’s career. The 2014 McLaren MP4-29 was a tricky customer with an often unruly rear, but Button’s gravitas as team leader soon nullified this as the car’s setups favoured his smooth driving to the unfortunate cost of Magnussen for whom the new direction did not suit. Who is to say that this won’t be the case for Maldonado? Potentially, with Grosjean out of the picture, the development direction will now be in Pastor’s favour and if a harmony can be found between driver and car then there is no reason that Maldonado cannot show everyone why in 2016 he deserves his place on that illustrious grid of 20 cars. In short, let him channel his ‘enthusiasm’ into driving flat out, and not into the side of Hamilton at Spa.

But there is an element to Maldonado’s driving which has to be addressed, and that is of course his tendency to crash. But again here I can justify, to myself at least, why Maldonado should stay. Now I know I have harped on about declining viewing figures for F1, but that Mr. Gore is the real ‘Inconvenient Truth’. And so the spectacle that a flurry of smashed carbon fibre creates is something that is essential to F1, so long as safety is not compromised. To even the most serious of fans, crashes are a fundamental part of the sport. Furthermore, it adds to the unpredictability of F1 as crashes introduce safety cars and drama, all to the benefit of the on track action and therefore re-enticing the viewers. So here again, I feel I can make a genuine claim for Pastor to continue racing for now at least. 

'Crashtor' Maldonado

I’m lucky enough to have met Renault and Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn who has overseen Renault’s return to F1 as a constructor. He has saved and remastered Renault over his reign by being a shrewd business man. So I think to retain Maldonado for 2016 would be another good move on his part. So roll on the 2016 season, will Maldonado ready to race in Melbourne.