Pastor Maldonado emerged from the emotional chaos of his maiden victory and the Williams team’s blazing return to glory in Sunday’s Spanish Grand Prix by declaring his next ambition: to mount a serious challenge for the world title.
The 27-year-old became the fifth different winner in five races this year – the most open start to a season since 1983 – to declare his intentions and underlined that performance with a dignified and heroic response afterwards.
Not only did he win a tumultuous race at the Circuit de Catalunya, he also turned into a hero by coming to the team’s aid when a fire ignited in the Williams garage after the race and he went in to rescue his young cousin.
If the fire threw a shadow over Williams’ dramatic return to triumphant form after their worst-ever season in 2011, it could not blunt Maldonado’s optimism.
The first Venezuelan driver to start a race from pole position and the nation’s first Grand Prix winner said: “Everything is possible. We aren’t the best team at the moment, but the gaps are close and I’m driving well. And I have a very good feeling with the team and with the car. Why not?”
After Sunday’s win, Maldonado is ninth in the drivers’ standings, 32 points behind joint leaders defending double world champion Sebastian Vettel, of Red Bull, and two-time champion Fernando Alonso, of Ferrari.
Maldonado added: “We are looking to do our best, looking forward to winning some races, to getting a couple more podiums and I’m really happy because the team hasn’t won many races for many years so this is a great moment for us. I hope to continue like that.”
Alonso was delighted to finish second while Vettel battled through to sixth, a result that confirmed he will not dominate this year as he did 2011.
Alonso said: “What we can say is we have probably had the most difficult start of a champion-ship in these three years in Ferrari, with a car that was not competitive at all, and we finish the first quarter of the championship, the fifth race out of 20, and we are leading the championship... on the same points as Vettel!
“So, we have to be very, very proud and very happy with the points we achieved and with the position. Maybe not so proud about how competitive we are but we are working on that.”
Vettel admitted that he had struggled and was glad to score the points he did on a day when his likely and expected major rivals from McLaren, Lewis Hamilton and compatriot Jenson Button, came in eighth and ninth.
“These are valuable points. But it’s difficult for us to understand what’s going on,” he said.
Vettel’s comment summed up the feelings of many teams and drivers after a race that delivered another surprise result in a season of surprises – much due to the nature of the controversial Pirelli tyres’ unpredictable performance at races.
After five GPs without a win, Hamilton is sure to relish a chance to finish first at his favourite circuit in Monte Carlo when the show moves on for the Monaco GP on May 27.