Maldonado. Not of this planet..

[andygo]

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/113501



"Just normal race contact" Well for you it may be, not sure how the other drivers feel about it.

[RGambo]

He really is a clown. Words fail me.

[Corpulent Tosser]

Pastor Maldonado fears that Formula 1 drivers could get too scared to battle hard wheel-to-wheel if the FIA continues to hand out penalties for racing incidents.

He may be a clown, but he is right about too many penalties for what used to be regarded as racing incidents.

[RemarkLima]

All motorsport bar banger racing is supposed to be non-contact, and even more so with open wheeled formats.

Wheel to wheel racing is different from barging past... I'd imagine Maldonado parking by smashing into other cars all around him. The guy is a hoof-handed loon IMHO, and has all the subtlety and finesse of a house brick thrown through a window.

[Agent Orange]

"Ten years ago everyone was fighting and touching each other, because there were no penalties. Now we need to adapt ourselves."

Well he's half right. In the past drivers where fighting hard yet STILL managed to avoid other drivers. Granted more than 10 years ago but witness Mansell harassing Senna in Monaco 92. The pair of them duelled like crazy with Senna blocking all over the place and weaving in the braking zone on the narrow streets.

Not once though did they touch.

[thegreenhell]

[CNHSS1]

he'd hurt people on a bloody scalextric track!

the second most dangerous export from his neck o' the woods...

[egor110]

Get him in touring cars he'd be brilliant.

[Jasandjules]

egor110 said:

Get him in bumper cars he'd be brilliant.

EFA

[PhillipM]

It's quite worrying that he can't see that what he did was wrong in any way. The sooner he's gone from F1 the better. Mind, I wouldn't wish him on another series either.

[andy_s]

egor110 said:

Get him in Death Race 2000 and he'd be brilliant.

EFMA

[Exige77]

Hammy and Rosberg were at it big time and didn't touch once.

[Crafty_]

People don't go wheel to wheel with him, because they can't trust him. They'll happily go wheel to wheel with guys that they can trust.

With a bit of luck it'll be his last year in the sport.

[anonymous-user]

Crafty_ said:

With a bit of luck it'll be his last year in the sport.

Fingers crossed!

[zac510]

[quote]"Ten years ago everyone was fighting and touching each other, because there were no penalties. Now we need to adapt ourselves."

[/quote]

That doesn't sound right; 10 years ago we had some of the most ridiculous penalties leveraged on drivers. They got so ridiculous it led to the driving standards panel and having an ex-driver or notable driver at each race to adjudicate. Since then we've had far fewer penalties. Maybe I don't recall it right but in my memory 2000-2010 was some of the worst time for big penalties for minor infringements.

[Chebble]

REALIST123 said:

Crafty_ said:

With a bit of luck it'll be his last year in the sport.

Fingers crossed!

As much as I'd love to see it, i doubt it will ever happen. Doesn't he bring too much money to the party?

The mention of his name raises my blood pressure. As others have said, F1 has had it's fair share of wheel to wheel racing, with no much contact (Senna/Prost and others aside). Maldonado is a liability.

[Fire99]

I agree with Maldonado's comments.

However the problem for him is with him being a bit of a loose cannon and seemingly hard to be trusted by other drivers, he's the wrong driver to make the comments.

[TheRealFingers99]

Things were worse, IIRC, during the Balestre era.

Maldonado reminds me of Schumacher during his second phase: arrogant, dangerous, strangely lacking in awareness, but not completely without talent.

[if in doubt]

[Corpulent Tosser]

Gaz. said:

Corpulent Tosser said:

Pastor Maldonado fears that Formula 1 drivers could get too scared to battle hard wheel-to-wheel if the FIA continues to hand out penalties for racing incidents.

He may be a clown, but he is right about too many penalties for what used to be regarded as racing incidents.

Yet he was the only dhead last weekend that couldn't race wheel to wheel without ending someone else's race. Most of the grid managed just fine.

I am not defending Maldonado's on track actions, but the stewards do, IMO, get involved too often, there have always been incidents/collisions between drivers.