Pastor Maldonado gave Williams a first Formula One race win in almost eight years on Sunday when he fought off local hero Fernando Alonso in a thrilling Spanish Grand Prix.
The Venezuelan lost the start bur rebounded to beat Ferrari’s Alonso and Kimi Raikkonen of Lotus for his first career victory the day after getting his maiden pole after original fastest qualifier Lewis Hamilton was moved to the end of the grid.
Maldonado is the fifth different winner from a fifth team in as many 2012 races, following Jenson Button (McLaren) in Australia, Alonso in Malaysia, Nico Rosberg (Mercedes) in China and world champion Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull) in Bahrain.
“First podium, first victory, you can imagine how I feel,” said Maldonado. “It is a wonderful day for me and the team.
“We have been pushing so hard to improve since last year and here we are. Yesterday after a great qualifying and today we did it again.” Williams had not topped a podium since Juan Pablo Montoya’s success at the Brazilian GP in October 2004. Success came on the weekend of team owner Frank Williams’ 70th birthday celebrations, with his family present in Barcelona.
“All the boys are delighted, and I’m quietly delighted, boy did we need that win as you can well imagine,” Williams told the BBC. “The car has got possibilities and our rate of development has to exceed that of the other teams.” Hamilton worked his way from last place in the grid — imposed because McLaren didn’t give him enough fuel to bring him to the pits at the end of qualifying — to eighth. Team—mate Jenson Button was ninth while Vettel came sixth.
Vettel and Alonso have 61 points each atop the championship, Hamilton 53, Raikkonen 49, Red Bull’s Mark Webber 48 and Button 45 in a close season.
“There is still a lot for us to understand,” said Vettel, who had to serve a drive—through penalty for speeding under yellow flags and like team—mate Mark Webber required a new front wing. “It is a long and turbulent year, a lot can happen.” Alonso said that “second place at home feels fantastic” and that ” we are back in front in the championship with plenty of possibilities.” But record champion Michael Schumcher who drove his Mercedes into the rear of Bruno Senna’s Williams at turn one which forced both to retire. Schumacher shouted “idiot” over team radio, saying that Senna made a strange manoeuvre.
Alonso squeezed past Maldonado for first place into the first right—hand turn after the start and quickly built up a small lead on home ground.
But the Spaniard was held up briefly by a lapped Marussia and possibly pitted one lap too late for the second time compared to Maldonado, who came in two laps earlier, roared into the lead and was some seven seconds ahead at the 33rd—lap halfway mark.
The gap closed again but Maldonado stayed ahead after the third round of stops he entered three laps ahead of Alonso.
Maldonado was told to look after his rear tyres as the two were separated by little more than a second into the closing stages, but was able to defend the lead and crossed the line in 1 hour 39 minutes 9.145 seconds for the 66 laps on the 4.655km course.
“It was a fantastic start ... and we had the momentum to lead for the first part. But Williams anticipated the first stop better and as the race went on we lost grip and maybe some aero,” said Alonso.
Maldonado said that “Fernando did a better start than me but I was following the pace” before he regained the lead en route to victory.
The winner now also hopes to do well at the next race, the glamour event of the season on May 27 in Monaco.
“Monaco is a great opportunity for us to be strong again. We have to keep pushing with the car. Consistency is the most important thing this season,” Maldonado said.
