[Driver] Maldonado: Can he be changed, can he maximise his talent, or is he a lost cause?

[Marbot]

Originally Posted by Peter Mallett

However yes, the game is the survival of the fittest

Indeed it is, and I'm sure that F1 would have got along fine with just 4 or 5 teams.

I too would have been happy just to watch the 'spending competition' carry on and watch all of the teams, without sufficient money, fall by the wayside. And then say 'Yes! Look at that! That's just what you would have expected to happen!'

[Greem]

Monaco WSR. Case closed.

Yeah yeah I know I bring it up about PM fairly regularly but if you drive like a loon through waved yellows and hit someone who's trackside dealing with a stricken car, what do you expect?

On the plus side I've been impressed with his raw speed in the Williams but he really *really* needs those edges rounding off.

[Marbot]

[Peat]

[beau1]

Originally Posted by Peat

What are you meant to be pointing out to us?

Which money is more crooked, Chavez or the bank that Williams happens to be part of as shown at the bottom?

Sadly, a lot of the Maldonado bashing does seem to come back to where he comes from - a country, that as proven over the last 18 months, is no more corrupt than our own.

[Peat]

I just thought it was a rather interesting image to appear on my facebook newsfeed. How on earth did someone let that get on there???

[beau1]

Originally Posted by Peat

I just thought it was a rather interesting image to appear on my facebook newsfeed. How on earth did someone let that get on there???

I am wondering the same. It is certainly interesting - I'm looking for tell tale signs of Photoshop but haven't looked to hard yet!

[Paradise City]

You could rustle up such a forgery in an hour if you put your mind to it. Less if you've easy access to an invoice template.

[wnut]

Originally Posted by bella

ok, so to bring this back to pastor, are we seeing a reflection of the tolerance of the driving styles of senna et al in the 80s, and then schumacher in the 90s?

or is it just an unfortunate combination of being as daft as a brush and agressive on track? at what point do you consider someone's racing upbringing - it's likely he's never had someone tell him square to his face from within his team that he's driving like a div. what about that?

Hamilton has had more contact with more people than anyone else in F1.

The Spa incident which Maldonado was so widely condemned for (rightly imo) also featured a fine for Hamilton for turning into Maldonado.

The incident where Maldonado hit the marshal should have attracted massive penalties - a life time ban no problem.
The rest are pretty much the same as Hamilton's regular scrapes, and nowhere near Kovalainen balking Webber!


The Senna incident with Prost was returned by Prost the following year!

[Mr V]

Originally Posted by wnut

and nowhere near Kovalainen balking Webber!

Not convinced that Heikki actually meant to contact with Mark somehow

[Adam43]

Originally Posted by beau1

Sadly, a lot of the Maldonado bashing does seem to come back to where he comes from - a country, that as proven over the last 18 months, is no more corrupt than our own.

I don't think it is and no it isn't.

Although your accusations of this Venezuela bashing and how Britain is as corrupt is more suited to Parc Ferme, or your imagination.

[Adam43]

Originally Posted by Mr V

Not convinced that Heikki actually meant to contact with Mark somehow

When was this? Sorry, poor memory.

Edit: is this a reference to Valencia a couple of years ago. *sigh*

[littleman]

Again I agree with Bella - Maldonado is just a div.

Anyone with half a brain knows you have to secure a drive with Ferrari, McLaren, Red Bull or possibly Mercedes if you want any realistic chance of challenging for a World Title.

None of these teams are going to sign a liability like Maldonado (who wants to deal with his PR!) and what's more, they don't need his money either.

The Wlliams drive is probably as far as his money can take him.

[bella]

Originally Posted by littleman

(who wants to deal with his PR!)

mmm, the williams pr job has to be one of the most awkward in f1 at the moment - immense respect to them for that. they're having quite the rollercoaster year...

i don't think he's a div entirely but he's definitely driving in a, er, divvy manner (excuse the wide vocab - it's been a while since i dun skul). the problem comes when drivers believe their own stories in situations like that, when they're no longer acting in front of the cameras in interviews, they're actually speaking their honest opinion. if they're still acting the part of the racing driver there's an little bit of hope that they can have some sense slapped into them if you speak to the person, not the character.

and in response to beau1 beating us around the head with a politics textbook... yes and no. i disagree wholeheartedly with the idea of a state directly or indirectly funding a racing driver, but regardless of the letters on the side of his car the guy drives like a complete muppet. that's the issue here, in this thread. the political one, as adam43 says, belongs elsewhere in the forum.

[nicanary]

Lot of posts comparing with Andrea de Cesaris, who never got any better.

How about Riccardo Patrese? He was a bit wild to start with, but ended up a sort of patrician in the F1 family. So people can change, but does Pastor want to, or even realise that he has to?

And as for him thinking that he's "in the right" - Ayrton Senna, anyone?

[MGDavid]

Originally Posted by wnut

Hamilton has had more contact with more people than anyone else in F1.......

wnut has made more untrue sweeping generalisations than anyone else on 10-Tenths

[spider]

I'm sure all those that have raced on here have come up against a Pastor-type driver before. Someone who would rather crash than be overtaken, someone who will just throw the car down the inside in a clumsy way, and someone who will take any on-track action as a personal offence and try and get you back.

He can be tamed, but only by someone who can properly get him by the scruff of the neck.

In a strange way it could work in his favor - any driver approaching him to overtake, or anyone who has him starting/racing behind him will have to be ultra cautious for a PM lunge - which could lead to mistakes etc from PM's rivals.

He's a big big character and big ego - he's quick, he knows it. He needs a mentor. Not an Alex Wurz - he's too Austrian/level-headed - he needs a big/fiery character, who will properly put an arm around his shoulder, beat him a little into his place a little...Montoya, have a word...

[bella]

Originally Posted by spider

He's a big big character and big ego - he's quick, he knows it. He needs a mentor. Not an Alex Wurz - he's too Austrian/level-headed - he needs a big/fiery character, who will properly put an arm around his shoulder, beat him a little into his place a little...Montoya, have a word...

i think you're right about wurz probably not being the right one here, he's far too sensible and as we know... sensible does not work with this grasshopper

anyone got any other suggestions for a potential mentor for maldonado?

[Mr V]

Originally Posted by bella

anyone got any other suggestions for a potential mentor for maldonado?

Alan Jones ?

[Mr V]

Originally Posted by Adam43

When was this? Sorry, poor memory.

Edit: is this a reference to Valencia a couple of years ago. *sigh*

It would appear that some people think it was a deliberate act.

[wnut]

Originally Posted by MGDavid

wnut has made more untrue sweeping generalisations than anyone else on 10-Tenths

Which driver has made more contacts than Hamilton during his tenure in F1?

Or are you too busy making snide remarks to be able to bother yourself to support your statement?

[davyboy]

Originally Posted by littleman

Again I agree with Bella - Maldonado is just a div.

Anyone with half a brain knows you have to secure a drive with Ferrari, McLaren, Red Bull or possibly Mercedes if you want any realistic chance of challenging for a World Title.

None of these teams are going to sign a liability like Maldonado (who wants to deal with his PR!) and what's more, they don't need his money either.

The Wlliams drive is probably as far as his money can take him.

Possibly, but let's not forget that he's a race winner, which is more than can be said for half the grid, including the highly rated Grosjean, diResta, Hulkenberg and Perez. Furthermore, he didn't just luck into his win, he drove an intelligent and calculated race with no mistakes. So a div he is not !

[bella]

Originally Posted by davyboy

Possibly, but let's not forget that he's a race winner, which is more than can be said for half the grid, including the highly rated Grosjean, diResta, Hulkenberg and Perez. Furthermore, he didn't just luck into his win, he drove an intelligent and calculated race with no mistakes. So a div he is not !

i think it's more he did exactly what he was told. he's known for that - for example ask him to do a specific laptime and he will. he's very compliant and fortunately his talent extends far enough to be able to do the really quick stuff when he needs to.

don't mistake that for intelligence on the scale of button or someone who really knows their stuff.

[wnut]

Originally Posted by davyboy

Possibly, but let's not forget that he's a race winner, which is more than can be said for half the grid, including the highly rated Grosjean, diResta, Hulkenberg and Perez. Furthermore, he didn't just luck into his win, he drove an intelligent and calculated race with no mistakes. So a div he is not !

1st Williams driver to win a race in how long?

If you are young and quick you inevitably attract criticism.
Remember Scheckter in 1972 at Brands Hatch?

[Marbot]

Originally Posted by beau1

Sadly, a lot of the Maldonado bashing does seem to come back to where he comes from - a country, that as proven over the last 18 months, is no more corrupt than our own.

You mean Italy? Where there is no suggestion, at all, that Ferrari gets its sponsorship money from a very dodgy source. *coughs*