The Pastor will reside at Williams.

[gloomyDAY]

Maldonado used his PDVSA cash to buy a hocked seat at Williams.

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/88547

Everyone seems pretty happy. Pastor is quick, he has money, and Frank Williams seems to be satisfied with his decision.

Win-win, right?

[I am evil Homer]

Lets see how he does with the big boys before we pass judgement. Talented? Yes. F1 standard? Guess we'll find out after a couple of races.

[Azumanga Davo]

Wonder if Citgo would be a brand represented on the car. Usually these tend to be one of the nicer liveries used.

[ioan]

Just another pay driver. He will most probably make Rubens look even more impressive!

[UltimateDanGTR]

Well, he's a GP2 champion. so he definatly has skill. Though I think Barrichello will do better than him next year, He deserves a chance, and if it doesnt work out then fine.

To be fair he's not just another pay driver-he's a pay driver with some good skill. If F1 doesnt work out I can see him in IndyCar within a few years too....

[Nikki Katz]

I hope that they have a good budget for repairs...

Maldonado is a very talented driver and took this year's GP2 title with ease, but his flashes of brilliance have historically been matched with flashes of insanity. Forgetting to break for corners, hitting numerous cars and actually running a marshall over on one occasion have somewhat marred his reputation.

[Sonic]

I hope that they have a good budget for repairs...

Maldonado is a very talented driver and took this year's GP2 title with ease, but his flashes of brilliance have historically been matched with flashes of insanity. Forgetting to break for corners, hitting numerous cars and actually running a marshall over on one occasion have somewhat marred his reputation.

Almost word for word what I was going to say :)

I really don't know what to expect. My gut is he'll either be really impressive in a totally unexpected Kobay kind of way, or he'll be totally rubbish. Time will tell but he should get at least a season to bed in.

[gloomyDAY]

I just don't understand the logic behind Frank's decision. Nico Hulkenberg was a GP2 champ and now has a full year of F1 experience under his belt. Nico got dumped in favor of Pastor, but without any guarantee that Pastor will do any better against Rubens. Aside from the money issue, am I missing something here?

[ioan]

Williams refused to let BMW buy into the team 7 years ago and they are now at the point where they have to sell the seat to the highest bidder. :\

[gloomyDAY]

Williams refused to let BMW buy into the team 7 years ago and they are now at the point where they have to sell the seat to the highest bidder. :\ Hindsight is 20/20. BMW ditched F1 and Williams would have been left high and dry. I guess it was a good decision that Williams decided not sell any shares to BMW.

[ioan]

Hindsight is 20/20. BMW ditched F1 and Williams would have been left high and dry. I guess it was a good decision that Williams decided not sell any shares to BMW.

Williams and BMW were winning races on a regular basis.
BMW ditched F1 because they did not win races.
And even so if BMW would have stepped out Williams would have retained the team. Getting BMW on board would have been the smartest thing, instead they are at the point where they need pay drivers. :confused:

[Sleeper]

Williams and BMW were winning races on a regular basis.
BMW ditched F1 because they did not win races.
And even so if BMW would have stepped out Williams would have retained the team. Getting BMW on board would have been the smartest thing, instead they are at the point where they need pay drivers. :confused:

So are Sauber, so I guess in the long run it would have made no difference.

[Ranger]

Hulkenberg smashed Maldonado in GP2 in 2009 when they were team-mates. Pastor was in his 3rd year, Nico was a rookie. I think that's the most odd part of this decision.

Maybe he will surprise like Kobayashi, maybe not.

In any case I'll predict Rubens will comfortably beat him and extend his career another season in doing so.

Good luck to him.

[anthonyvop]

As far as I am concerned Williams has turned into a one car team now.

[truefan72]

This is a sad day and a new low for Williams. Nothing against Pastor, but when a future star is pushed away from the team so a pay driver can take his place, is a sad state of affairs for Williams.

Perhaps its best to sell the team now, before it dies a slow painful death.

[Hawkmoon]

This is a sad day and a new low for Williams. Nothing against Pastor, but when a future star is pushed away from the team so a pay driver can take his place, is a sad state of affairs for Williams.

Perhaps its best to sell the team now, before it dies a slow painful death.

My thoughts as well.

R.I.P. Williams Grand Prix Engineering.

[Mia 01]

Moore than HRT, a youke that is, Williams.

[Bruce D]

Its very confusing. One minute Williams are trying to get Nico to sign a 5 year deal, Willi Weber advices against it, Williams drop Nico and now a second rate option is signed? Only time will tell whether this was a good decision or not.

Yeah but what I read was that Nico could sign the 5 year deal but then he'd be put in HRT for next year. I would have also said no. Clearly they wanted a pay driver in the 2nd car.

Maldonado really hasn't done enough IMO to deserve this. He won GP2 in a season when there wasn't anyone significant racing.

[ShiftingGears]

Maldonado really hasn't done enough IMO to deserve this.

For Williams it's not whether they've done enough. It's whether they've got enough. $$$$$

[Sonic]

Ready between the lines (okay, between the lines of the fine print because this is grasping at straws!) is it possible that Frank has something up his sleeve for 2012/13?
Evidence? Well the last time Sir Frank wanted to put a driver out on loan he had a new manufacture coming on board and put a rookie in the seat for a year.
Trying to sign Nico on a log term deal, but putting him out on loan with a small team whilst raking in the dough from a wealthy rookie could hint at that possibility again.
Add to that, we have the VW group sniffing around F1, could that be the link!

Ok - grasping at straws I know - but I'm snowed in here people and my mind is wandering.

[Retro Formula 1]

Just another pay driver. He will most probably make Rubens look even more impressive!

:laugh: Have you only just started watching the sport?

Schumacher had a seat "bought" for him with Mercedes money to start his career as did Alonso at Minardi.

There have been quite a fe "pay" drivers my friend. A quick driver attracts sponsors as they progress who pay for that push into F1.

[Dave B]

:laugh: Have you only just started watching the sport?

Schumacher had a seat "bought" for him with Mercedes money to start his career as did Alonso at Minardi.

There have been quite a fe "pay" drivers my friend. A quick driver attracts sponsors as they progress who pay for that push into F1.
Sad but true. At any one time there are usually only a handful of teams who can afford two drivers on their payroll, and they tend to plump for experienced and proven talent, often that which has risen up through the smaller outfits. This is one of the reasons I'm glad we now have some new teams: they offer the potential for the next Alonso or Vettel to hone their craft. Every other team has to rely on one or more drivers who can bring a bulging wallet with them. T'was ever thus.

[ioan]

:laugh: Have you only just started watching the sport?

Schumacher had a seat "bought" for him with Mercedes money to start his career as did Alonso at Minardi.

There have been quite a fe "pay" drivers my friend. A quick driver attracts sponsors as they progress who pay for that push into F1.

MS had one race paid for him, not a season, and after one qualifying session he was the hottest property in F1 and signed by Benetton for good money.

Looks to me that you don't know what you are talking about.

I am sure that Rubens will clean the floor with this no one.

[Retro Formula 1]

MS had one race paid for him, not a season, and after one qualifying session he was the hottest property in F1 and signed by Benetton for good money.

Looks to me that you don't know what you are talking about.

I am sure that Rubens will clean the floor with this no one.

So you agree with me but say I am wrong. Are you some kind of Schitzo? :D

Everyone knows the rest of the story but he had to be bought into F1.

[Mia 01]

I agree Moore and Youke would have been better options for Williams.
A cheap one for you.

[ioan]

Are you some kind of Schitzo? :D

Yeah the kind that knows a bigger one from a mile.

[jens]

I consider Maldonado to be a slightly improved version of Petrov. Spent ages in GP2 before finally putting in a strong season. But Pastor has shown spark in the past seasons too, the difference is that finally he managed to put it together on a consistent basis.

But overall do not expect him to be a revelation. At best something similar to Hülkenberg's 2010 campaign, which means almost half of Barrichello's points.

Interesting that the prices for paydrivers have gone really high (+10M &#8364 ;) and even governments are getting involved in buying seats (Petrov, Maldonado). I also remember Baumgartner getting a Minardi drive with the help of government's support, but the cost was much lower back then (something around 2-3M € IIRC).

[Dr. Krogshöj]

I just don't understand the logic behind Frank's decision. Nico Hulkenberg was a GP2 champ and now has a full year of F1 experience under his belt. Nico got dumped in favor of Pastor, but without any guarantee that Pastor will do any better against Rubens. Aside from the money issue, am I missing something here?

Well, it seems you are missing the money issue, don't you? I think the logic behind the decision is pretty simple to understand: racing in F1 costs money.

[gloomyDAY]

Well, it seems you are missing the money issue, don't you? I think the logic behind the decision is pretty simple to understand: racing in F1 costs money. :) Yes, well I just think this seems like desperation on Williams' part.

Are they so hungry for cash that they'll hire a driver that got his butt kicked by Nico in GP2 just to stay alive? Sad.

[Sleeper]

A quick driver attracts sponsors as they progress who pay for that push into F1.

You mean like Tarso Marques, Alex Young, Yuiji Ide, Sakon Yamamoto, Ricardo Rosset, Zsolt Baumgartner, Gaston Mazzacane, Pedro Diniz, etc. Quite often drivers will attract money through many reasons other than speed, like very rich parents.