Community hub
Recent from talks
Knowledge base stats:
Talk channels stats:
Members stats:
Pastor Maldonado
Pastor Rafael Maldonado Motta (Spanish pronunciation: [pasˈtoɾ maldoˈnaðo]; born 9 March 1985) is a Venezuelan former racing driver, who competed in Formula One from 2011 to 2015. Maldonado won the 2012 Spanish Grand Prix with Williams.
After winning the GP2 Series in 2010 with Rapax, Maldonado competed in Formula One for Williams and Lotus, winning the Spanish Grand Prix in 2012 with the former. He was replaced by Kevin Magnussen at the reformed Renault team for 2016, becoming a test driver for Pirelli. Maldonado returned to racing in 2018 at the FIA World Endurance Championship, finishing third in the LMP2 class with DragonSpeed before taking a class win at the 24 Hours of Daytona in 2019.
Maldonado was born on 9 March 1985 in Maracay, Venezuela. He showed an early interest in racing, preferring to watch his uncles driving their YMCA go-karts. When Maldonado was four years old, he started competing in BMX racing and won a national championship.
Maldonado was invited to Kartódromo Carmencita Hernández in 1992 and was impressed with the karts that were running on the track. After that, he convinced his father to let him drive one. A year later, Maldonado had his first appearances in karting championships. Since at the time there was no proper category for his age, he competed against kids that were 10–12 years old.
Maldonado's first experience of formula racing was in Italy in 2003. He competed in the Italian Formula Renault Championship with Cram Competition, and was classified seventh in the drivers' championship. His notable results included three podium finishes and one pole position. Cram Competition also entered one round of the German Formula Renault Championship at Oschersleben.
In 2004, Maldonado ran a dual programme in Italian and Formula Renault 2000 Eurocup with Cram Competition. He won the Italian title, with eight wins and six pole positions from seventeen starts. In the European championship, he was classified eighth overall, with two wins. Maldonado also found the time to enter one round of the now defunct Formula Renault V6 Eurocup at Spa-Francorchamps, with a best finish of fifth place.
In November 2004, Maldonado was given an opportunity to test with the Minardi Formula One team at Misano in Italy. The team's former owner, Giancarlo Minardi, was present at the test and commented positively about Maldonado's performance.
In 2005, Maldonado progressed out of Formula Renault, but did not get the opportunity to complete a full season in any one series. He made four starts in the Italian F3000 Championship with Sighinolfi Auto Racing, in which one race win at the Autodromo dell'Umbria was enough to finish ninth overall. He also entered nine races (and made seven starts) in the Spanish-based World Series by Renault, with a best finish of seventh. However, his participation in the WSR was marred by a four-race ban for dangerous driving. He failed to slow down at the scene of an accident at Monaco, despite the presence of warning flags, and struck and seriously injured a marshal.
Hub AI
Pastor Maldonado AI simulator
(@Pastor Maldonado_simulator)
Pastor Maldonado
Pastor Rafael Maldonado Motta (Spanish pronunciation: [pasˈtoɾ maldoˈnaðo]; born 9 March 1985) is a Venezuelan former racing driver, who competed in Formula One from 2011 to 2015. Maldonado won the 2012 Spanish Grand Prix with Williams.
After winning the GP2 Series in 2010 with Rapax, Maldonado competed in Formula One for Williams and Lotus, winning the Spanish Grand Prix in 2012 with the former. He was replaced by Kevin Magnussen at the reformed Renault team for 2016, becoming a test driver for Pirelli. Maldonado returned to racing in 2018 at the FIA World Endurance Championship, finishing third in the LMP2 class with DragonSpeed before taking a class win at the 24 Hours of Daytona in 2019.
Maldonado was born on 9 March 1985 in Maracay, Venezuela. He showed an early interest in racing, preferring to watch his uncles driving their YMCA go-karts. When Maldonado was four years old, he started competing in BMX racing and won a national championship.
Maldonado was invited to Kartódromo Carmencita Hernández in 1992 and was impressed with the karts that were running on the track. After that, he convinced his father to let him drive one. A year later, Maldonado had his first appearances in karting championships. Since at the time there was no proper category for his age, he competed against kids that were 10–12 years old.
Maldonado's first experience of formula racing was in Italy in 2003. He competed in the Italian Formula Renault Championship with Cram Competition, and was classified seventh in the drivers' championship. His notable results included three podium finishes and one pole position. Cram Competition also entered one round of the German Formula Renault Championship at Oschersleben.
In 2004, Maldonado ran a dual programme in Italian and Formula Renault 2000 Eurocup with Cram Competition. He won the Italian title, with eight wins and six pole positions from seventeen starts. In the European championship, he was classified eighth overall, with two wins. Maldonado also found the time to enter one round of the now defunct Formula Renault V6 Eurocup at Spa-Francorchamps, with a best finish of fifth place.
In November 2004, Maldonado was given an opportunity to test with the Minardi Formula One team at Misano in Italy. The team's former owner, Giancarlo Minardi, was present at the test and commented positively about Maldonado's performance.
In 2005, Maldonado progressed out of Formula Renault, but did not get the opportunity to complete a full season in any one series. He made four starts in the Italian F3000 Championship with Sighinolfi Auto Racing, in which one race win at the Autodromo dell'Umbria was enough to finish ninth overall. He also entered nine races (and made seven starts) in the Spanish-based World Series by Renault, with a best finish of seventh. However, his participation in the WSR was marred by a four-race ban for dangerous driving. He failed to slow down at the scene of an accident at Monaco, despite the presence of warning flags, and struck and seriously injured a marshal.