13
VenezuelaMAL

Pastor Maldonado

Overview

Pastor Maldonado was born in Maracay, Venezuela, in 1985 and progressed from karting into European junior racing. He built a reputation for speed, especially on street circuits, and spent several seasons in GP2 before winning the championship in 2010. Backed by Venezuelan sponsorship, he entered Formula 1 with Williams in 2011 and immediately became one of the grid’s more unpredictable figures. Maldonado’s defining moment came at the 2012 Spanish Grand Prix. After starting from the front row and inheriting pole position following Lewis Hamilton’s penalty, he drove a controlled race to beat Fernando Alonso and give Williams its first victory in years. It was Maldonado’s only Formula 1 win, but it remains one of the most surprising and memorable results of the 2010s. He later raced for Lotus, but declining team competitiveness and frequent incidents limited his results. After leaving Formula 1 at the end of 2015, Maldonado continued in other categories, including endurance racing. His legacy is divided: he is remembered for accidents and penalties, but also for genuine speed and a remarkable Grand Prix victory that no summary of modern Williams history can ignore.

Season history

SeasonTeamPOS.StartsWinsFastest lapsPodiumsPole positionsPTS
2011191900001
20121520101145
2013181900001
2014161800002
20151419000027
Profile
Full namePastor Maldonado
OriginVenezuela
Date of birthMarch 9, 1985 (41)
F1 active period2011-2015
AbbreviationMAL
Car number13
First Grand PrixAustralian Grand Prix 2011
First winSpanish Grand Prix 2012
Links
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Career stats

Championships

0

Career points

76

Wins

1

Podiums

1

Starts

95

Best finish

1

Best ranking

14

Seasons entered

5