Q&A with Pastor Maldonado

After a strong start to his Chinese Grand Prix, Pastor Maldonado’s Grand Prix came undone later in the race meaning our Venezuelan is eager to finish the job off in Bahrain.

What’s your target for Bahrain?

The target’s the same as ever; to do the best job possible and achieve the strongest result. We know what’s achievable from the car so it’s a case of qualifying well then moving forwards in the race into a solid points scoring finish.

What do you think of the Bahrain International Circuit?

Bahrain is a good circuit. I would say it is a ‘complete’ circuit because it has a mix of high, medium and low speed turns, plus good sequences of corners. It’s challenging over a lap and makes for an enjoyable race. The weather can get pretty hot, although this won’t be as much of a challenge as we’re racing at night now. The facilities for the teams are great and it’s one of the easiest circuits to work in as the paddock feels welcoming, there’s plenty of space for us yet it doesn’t feel like you’re at a massive venue like some tracks do.

Romain opened his and the team’s points account, how eager are you to score too?

I’m very eager! We’ve had three frustrating races where the car’s had the pace to score yet for whatever reason we haven’t been able to make it to the chequered flag. There’s no reason why we shouldn’t go well in Bahrain so that’s the target.

You started so well in China; what went wrong?

The start of the race and the early stints were good, but there were a few issues. I made a great start and we were running strongly early on however later I had a braking issue which made it harder to battle. I locked-up coming into the pits which really put my race on the back foot as I lost time and then returned to the track further down the order. I then had a fantastic fight with Jenson Button and we were passing each other very cleanly; a good, fun, exciting battle. Unfortunately, he got his braking point wrong and went into the back of me. Shortly after than I had to retire the car with a braking issue.

Did you speak with Jenson after the incident in China?

We bumped into each other in the paddock afterwards the first thing he said to me was sorry. The first thing I said to him was great battle! Jenson’s a very fair racer and a great guy and it’s easy to understand how the incident happened; we were both racing for position, both offline in our battle and he was braking after using DRS so all it takes is braking half a metre too late from high speed and you make contact with the car ahead. That’s racing.

What’s the approach to Bahrain as a night race?

We now approach Bahrain a little differently technically in terms of tyre pressures and set-up. Otherwise we will treat it much like any other race and it’s similar in feel to Singapore and Abu Dhabi. At the end of the day it’s racing no matter what the time.

How are you enjoying driving the E23 Hybrid three races in?

It’s been good so far. The car was strong straight away and then in Australia and Malaysia. China was a bit more challenging in the practice sessions but we were able to get it working much more as we wanted it for qualifying and the race. In the Chinese Grand Prix I was really able to push and it felt good to be able to pass people and set competitive race laps. I’m looking forward to pushing hard in Bahrain.