Gastaldi: Maldonado deserves some luck

Silverstone was a bit flat in more ways than one last weekend ? Any positives ?

There are no substitutes for points so again we were obviously disappointed coming away from Silverstone. However, Romain’s pace in difficult conditions was positive and his performance warranted a point in mine and others’ opinions. His run on medium tyres later in the race gave us some really good data and if he had been enabled to get off the line in a good fashion he would have been fighting for points. We had lots of issues over the weekend, some we could control but many we couldn’t. It was hugely frustrating for Pastor to be moved down the grid due to insufficient fuel for his qualifying run and then he was the victim of a misjudgement from Esteban Gutierrez in the race. These things happen in racing from time to time but it doesn’t make it any easier to deal with, but once more we saw a great approach from Pastor ; even though his car was damaged and his engine wasn’t at full strength he kept pushing hard.

How did you view the test at Silverstone last week, particularly the new Pirelli 18-inch tyres ?

It was interesting. The tyres were a good technical challenge for the engineers and also for Charles too, who did a fine job evaluating and giving strong feedback. Regarding the tyres, they are important not only for the performance of the car but also how the cars look. I think that fans and especially kids want to look at an F1 car and say ‘wow’, it looks amazing. While it is important for us to have a technical identification with the automotive industry there does need to be certain aspects that stand out more as well, too. So maybe even larger sizes are the answer ? It remains to be seen what the FIA will decide upon for the future but we were happy to help Pirelli with the first steps in the process. We are all racers at Enstone and we care about the future of the sport deeply.

Hockenheim was good to the team in 2012 with a podium. What are the aspirations for the return fixture this year ?

Hockenheim is always a great Grand Prix and we enjoy racing there. Like Silverstone it has some good history and with the natural amphitheatre stadium bowl it has a unique atmosphere. I remember well the third place we achieved in 2012 and the memories are happy ones. However, for 2014 we are in a different situation but as ever we will strive for the maximum and push once more to fight for points. The team is working so hard for such little points reward at the moment. We need to see that change as soon as possible.

Pastor endured some misfortune again at Silverstone, he’s due some good luck isn’t he ?

If only F1 worked like that ! But yes if it balances out a little during a season then he is owed some big-time luck. Through no fault of his own he got penalised in qualifying and started further back than the position he had earned, and then in the race we all saw what happened with Esteban Gutierrez. It was unfortunate that it affected him so much through his race because Pastor was quick prior to that, and I am sure, would have been strong as the race progressed. I hope for Pastor that his luck will change from Hockenheim onwards.

A World Cup update ! What will the Gastaldi household be like on Sunday night ?

Tense but confident ! The final of the World Cup is massive and we have not won it since 1986, so it is a long wait. I know the Albicelestes (sky blue and whites) will do their best and I hope they can achieve something memorable with our genius captain Lionel Messi. Vamos Vamos Argentina !