Maldonado will not change his style

Pastor Maldonado sees no reason to change his approach to racing, even after two incidents in the last two Grand Prix, with Lewis Hamilton in Valencia and Sergio Pérez at Silverstone.

If the incident with Hamilton had resulted in a time penalty in the final standings of the European Grand Prix, pushing him out of the points, his collision with Pérez in Great Britain cost him a 10,000-euro fine and a reprimand from the race stewards.

But despite these two penalties, Maldonado indicates that his team has not asked him to change his driving style, which some find too aggressive: « I have the support of the team. Because it is clear, from the data we provided to the race stewards, that I lost control of the car [during the incident with Pérez]. »

The Venezuelan also has his own opinion on the incident with Hamilton in Valencia: « I believe I was unlucky. I accept my penalty after the accident with Lewis, although I was unlucky because I hit the curb and had no front grip. At that moment, we were a lap and a half from the end of the race while at Silverstone, the race was just beginning. Sergio and I were fighting with the DRS open. I took the inside of the corner and was on the trajectory. He braked too late. I had cold tires and no angle to turn. I lost the car, it’s clear. »

Maldonado also rejects all criticisms regarding his driving, deemed too aggressive: « In the previous races, at the beginning of the year, my driving was very clean, and I had no issues; I fought much more because I was in the middle of the pack. At Silverstone, I was even kind to Räikkönen by giving up my position, and I drove cautiously because the race is long and tire degradation is significant… our car is good in these conditions. »