I am Pastor Maldonado, a driver by profession. Since I was a child I knew that auto racing would be my way of life. It was not an easy road, but I have worked hard to achieve it. My family and work team have been fundamental in this process. Today, after more than 20 years of career, and accumulating several victories for me and my country, I want to share with you my experiences.
Pastor Maldonado, since he was a child, always cultivated a passion for speed as a sport. Since he was 4 years old, he showed his inclination for this specialty: "It was at the Carmencita Hernández Kartódromo in Maracay - Pastor recalls - there I was impressed with those cars that went around the track. It was like being in heaven".
"I feel very comfortable with the little ones. It is an honor to share my knowledge with them and give them all the help I can to contribute something to their lifestyle. If a child takes me as an example to follow, it will be as valuable to me as the most precious trophy for a race" - Pastor Maldonado.
A career full of success, perseverance and discipline: "We always worked very hard, when we were not racing, we grouped together once a month to train from eight in the morning until noon and resume at 3 to 6 pm" Pastor recalls with great emotion.
Sport Debut, Venezuela: Karting. Pre-Junior Category
Karting. Pre Junior Category: Regional Champion (Aragua)
Karting. Pre Junior Category: National Champion / Regional Champion.
Karting. PCA Jr. Category - Regional Champion/ National Sub Champion.
Karting. Canada Cup: Sub Champion.
PCA Junior karting: National Champion /Sub Regional Champion.
GP2. 12th place. Due to injury, he was absent for eight races at the end of the Championship when he was fifth. One of the best rookies. Victory at the Monaco Grand Prix. First driver in history to achieve two consecutive victories in Monaco in both categories before Formula 1. (World Series/GP2)2007.
GP2. Winter testing at Paul Ricard, France. One of the best drivers.
Mechanical problems in the first two rounds of the calendar (Bahrain and Barcelona) prevented him from taking points. But then in Monaco, he thundered to the four winds for the second year in a row, taking an end-to-end victory and Pole Position at the most famous Circuit in the world.
GP2. Champion. Team: Rapax. Implanted two records in the category: six consecutive victories in the feature races (Saturday) and the highest number of victories in a season (6).
Pastor achieved his first victory in Formula 1 in his 24th race, while Mark Webber did it in his 131st race, Rubens Barrichello in 124 races, Jenson Button in 113, Felipe Massa in 66, Kimi Raikkonen in 36, Fernando Alonso in 30, Nelson Piquet in 24 and Sebastian Vettel in 22.
Formula 1. Williams Team. Victories: 1 GP of Spain. One of the best drivers in Qualy. Out of twenty Q2: thirteen times in Q3, five times in Top 3 on the starting grid, including one Pole Position. Points: 45.
In 2015 he changes his uniform and heads to the Lotus team, with which he raced until the following year which was his official retirement from the Formula One grid.
Formula 1: Lotus Team. Points: 2
Formula 1: Team Lotus. Points: 27
In this year, Pastor Maldonado is signed by the company Pirelli for some tire tests and then decides to do long races in the Wec championship, where he took several victories between 2018 and 2019 but one of the most outstanding and emblematic were the 24 Hours of Daytona that he won with his team in the LMP2 category.
24 Hours of Daytona: Champion (LMP2 category).