Pastor Maldonado

Lore & Background

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.

In Their Own Story

The track at Nürburgring was slick with rain, a treacherous ribbon of asphalt winding through the German forest. Maldonado gripped the wheel, his eyes scanning the spray ahead. The safety car had just pulled away, and the field was bunched together in a chaotic dance of survival. With one bold move on the exit of a corner, he found himself in the lead. There was no looking back; he managed the tires, the fuel, and the wet conditions with a fierce determination that silenced the doubters. As he crossed the line, the roar of the crowd confirmed what the telemetry showed: history had been made.

Reader's Guide

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. He began karting in 1992. His first experience of formula racing was in Italy in 2003, competing in the Italian Formula Renault Championship. He won the Italian Formula Renault title in 2004. In 2005 he made four starts in the Italian F3000 Championship, with one race win. He secured a full-time drive in the Formula Renault 3.5 Series in 2006, finishing third overall. He drove in GP2 from 2007 to 2010, winning the championship in 2010 with Rapax. He drove for Williams in Formula One from 2011 to 2013, and for Lotus in 2014 and 2015.

Did You Know?

• Maldonado won the 2012 Spanish Grand Prix with Williams.
• He won the GP2 Series championship in 2010 with Rapax.
• He was replaced by Kevin Magnussen at the reformed Renault team for 2016.