The future of Maldonado at Williams remains uncertain
The Venezuelan driver, Pastor Maldonado, is not guaranteed to still be with Williams in 2013. His presence in the British team would be linked to the renewal of the sponsorship contract between the Grove team and the oil company PDVSA.
Pastor Maldonado stated this weekend, on the sidelines of the Japanese Grand Prix, that there were no guarantees he would keep his seat with the Williams-Renault team for the 2013 season.
The Venezuelan driver has often been at the center of criticism during this Formula 1 season. Involved in numerous accidents often deemed avoidable, Maldonado has been penalized several times for his driving, described as rough.
So much so that several voices have been raised about the real ability of the Williams driver to gain consistency. The latest being Rubens Barrichello, who recently stated to a Brazilian radio: Williams has done a very good job in advancing the car on the starting grid compared to its position last year. Their current situation is really damaging because they should have at least double their current number of points. The main reason for this is of course the inexperience of the drivers. They are fast, but they don’t know how to get the most out of the equipment they have in their hands.
The future of Maldonado would therefore be uncertain if we believe the driver’s words, who does not wish to discuss the subject: « I don’t want to talk about that now. The team is still looking for drivers for next year, so I prefer not to discuss it. It is still too early. We are still waiting until the end of the season and we are fully focused on the championship. We are battling with Force India and we are all doing our best to be ahead of them. »
This uncertainty about Maldonado’s future could also be linked to the political situation in Venezuela. It is known that the driver brings substantial financial support to Williams thanks to his sponsor PDVSA, the national oil company. However, this weekend, significant elections are going to take place in the country, which could change the situation regarding the company’s investment in Maldonado’s career. The contract between Williams and the oil company states that the latter must pay the amount of its contribution before October 31 of the previous year.
The fate of Maldonado will therefore be more or less known after this date. If, however, the Williams option is no longer viable for the Venezuelan, who won the Spanish Grand Prix this year, he could turn to one of the only seats still available at Team Sauber. But there is no shortage of candidates for this seat, and the names of Felipe Massa, Jaime Alguersuari, Heikki Kovalainen, or Esteban Gutiérrez have been mentioned in recent days as possible candidates to replace Pérez.
