Last Sunday proved that Pastor Maldonado is no mere ‘pay driver’.

“If he was a fool, he would not be with us, no matter how much money he brings,” Sir Frank Williams is quoted by Brazil’s Globo Esporte.

Venezuelan Maldonado, whose links to the state owned oil company PDVSA and president Hugo Chavez controversially deliver many millions to Williams’ Oxfordshire based team, became F1′s fifth different winner of 2012 last weekend in Spain.

It has helped him to shake off the ‘pay driver’ insult, Williams insisting he is now a potential world champion instead.

“Without a doubt. He is very fast and makes no mistakes,” the newly 70-year-old Briton said.

Williams does, however, acknowledge that Maldonado’s money was a key factor in the decision to sign him.

“Yes, it was to some extent,” he said. “I don’t deny that. But he’s also a real driver. He fully deserves to be on the team, with or without money.

“The truth is that if you don’t have money, you don’t get to be in formula one,” added Williams.

Team shareholder Toto Wolff agrees: “If you want to race in GP2, you need a few million pounds. So, the drivers need not only to be fast and talented, but able to attract the sponsors.

“So let’s forget this thing about ‘pay drivers’,” he insisted.

Triple world champion Nelson Piquet, however, has some lingering doubts.

He ran Maldonado in his own GP2 team some years ago, and this week recalled a driver who was often “too aggressive” and made too many mistakes.

“We’re not talking about a guy who shone in his youth, like Nico Rosberg,” said the famous Brazilian, “or someone like Lewis Hamilton, who always had everything he needed thanks to Ron Dennis.

“In GP2, when you don’t stand out in your second year, you begin to be doubted. In Maldonado’s case, he only shone in his fourth year.

“Perhaps because of this he only made it to formula one as a paying driver, without having anything special, apparently. He was perceived as just a good pilot, but clearly no Alonso.

“Now he was at the right place at the right time but he still managed to beat Alonso in Spain as well as another world champion, Kimi (Raikkonen). So hats off to him.”

Two days after winning in Spain, Williams is scrambling to put together the equipment it needs to contest next weekend’s Monaco grand prix.

Mere hours after Pastor Maldonado secured the once-great British team’s first victory since 2004, a huge fire broke out in the pits, leaving one team member still in a Barcelona hospital with burns.

“His family are in constant communication and he is in good spirits,” Williams said in a media statement.

The Oxfordshire based team is now making efforts to ensure it can race in Monte Carlo, having lost a lot of equipment in the fire.

Mercifully, however, Bruno Senna’s car appears to have survived, with the Finnish broadcaster MTV3 saying an initial inspection of the chassis showed no devastating damage.

Maldonado’s winning car was in parc ferme at the time of the incident.

“We had a lot of damage and lost a lot of equipment, including IT equipment,” chief operations engineer Mark Gillan said, according to the Daily Mail.

“Over the next couple of days we will be looking at where we are parts-wise.

“We will have everything we need to run operationally at Monaco, but we may be missing a few of the extras because obviously we don’t carry a complete set of spares for everything,” he said.

It is believed more than one rival team has offered to help Williams by loaning the Sir Frank Williams-led outfit any equipment it needs.

A McLaren spokesman confirmed the Woking based team has offered to help.

Germany’s Bild newspaper said Williams’ damage bill runs into the millions.

Team manager Dickie Stanford denied a rumour the fire was caused by a cigarette in the vicinity of Senna’s fuel tank while it was being emptied.

“We don’t know the cause, but we would never allow smoking in the pits,” he insisted.

Williams and F1′s governing FIA are investigating.

F1′s astonishing season continues to live up to the hype, as a fifth driver and constructor on Sunday won the fifth grand prix of 2012.

Not only is the victory Pastor Maldonado’s first, his walk up the steps at the Circuit de Catalunya was the first taste of the podium in his two-season F1 career.

It’s also the first Venezuelan triumph in the sport’s history, and a hugely popular victory for Williams, the once-great British team headed by Sir Frank Williams, whose 70th birthday was warmly celebrated in the paddock on Saturday.

“Boy did we need that,” said Williams on BBC television.

And asked how he feels on Sky television, he smiled: “Relief.”

“Some said Maldonado was a pay driver and he didn’t deserve his place in formula one but they’ll be eating their words now,” commented former team driver David Coulthard.

“That was a fantastic drive,” added Coulthard, referring to Williams’ first win since Juan Pablo Montoya in 2004.

Williams enthused: “I didn’t see him (Maldonado) make one single mistake.”

“You can’t really fault him,” agreed Williams’ 1996 world champion Damon Hill.

Amazingly, however, away from the champagne, Sebastian Vettel’s sixth place leaves him at the top of the drivers’ championship, and he is now neck-and-neck with Fernando Alonso, who finished second on Sunday in the improving Ferrari.

Lewis Hamilton, who finished dead last on Sunday and finished eighth, is third in the points classification, ahead of Lotus’ Kimi Raikkonen.

Finn Raikkonen finished third on Sunday, and is the favourite to become F1′s sixth different winner of 2012 in Monaco in a fortnight.

“We showed we still have the speed,” the Lotus driver said after the Spanish grand prix. “If we had a few more laps, we could have fought for a victory.”

Former F1 driver Mika Salo believes his Finnish countryman Valtteri Bottas is being groomed by Williams for a race seat — in 2012.

When the Toto Wolff-managed Bottas, 22, was announced as the British team’s 2012 reserve, Sir Frank Williams said he would practice on 15 Friday mornings and then “most likely” be replaced with a “more experienced driver” for the rest of those race weekends.

That more experienced driver would ultimately turn out to be Bruno Senna.

So with Brazilian Senna struggling so far in 2012, Salo has revealed he senses things could be about to change.

“Bottas is incredibly respected by the team,” Salo, now a commentator for the Finnish broadcaster MTV3, said.

“When I spoke with Frank Williams, he praised Valtteri to the skies, and said that he belongs in the races.

“I asked him when and he said it wouldn’t be long.

“Yes, I read between the lines that he means this season,” added Salo.

One major spanner in the works, however, is that Senna brings crucial sponsorship to Williams.

“It is a difficult situation for Williams, where both drivers bring money,” Salo acknowledged.

“But the good thing is that Frank Williams is not a businessman first, he is an old racing driver. He thinks about nothing else but how to make his team successful.

“Although Senna is a nice guy, he is not able to drive at the level that he needs to be at.”

When asked about Salo’s theory, Bottas commented: “I have no information.”

Nico Rosberg’s F1 breakthrough proves he is ready to fight even for the world championship.

That is the view of former grand prix winner, team boss and co-owner Gerhard Berger, following Rosberg’s first pole and win in China last weekend.

“It surprised not me, but all the others who had doubted him,” the Austrian told Auto Bild Motorsport.

“It was about time. I was worried,” Berger smiled, “because I have always said I thought Nico was faster than Michael (Schumacher).

“Now he is finally where he has belonged for a long time — in the same league as Vettel, Hamilton, Alonso and Button,” he insisted.

“And when the (Mercedes) car is good enough, he is already ready for the world title.”

Berger, then as BMW motor sport director, said he was instrumental in 2002 in convincing Sir Frank Williams to give the then 17-year-old Rosberg his first F1 test.

Also welcoming Sunday’s breakthrough is Nelson Piquet junior, another son of a world champion who actually went to kindergarten with Rosberg in Monaco.

“It’s funny how in F1 things can take so long to happen,” the Brazilian told Globo.

“It took him more than six years to get his first victory, which for me is a long time considering how good a driver he is,” added Piquet, now in Nascar.

F1 team bosses turned out in force as officials insisted next month’s Bahrain grand prix is definitely on.

The sport’s chief executive Bernie Ecclestone joined Sir Frank Williams, Martin Whitmarsh, Christian Horner, Mercedes’ Nick Fry and Pirelli’s Paul Hembery at a media lunch in London.

“Talk about heavy support,” wrote Reuters correspondent Alan Baldwin on Twitter.

The self-described ‘PR offensive’ to promote the forthcoming Bahrain grand prix followed reports earlier this week that said the FIA had decided to cancel the race due to ongoing unrest in the island Kingdom.

“It’s all nonsense. We’ll be there as long as they want us,” said Ecclestone.

“Seriously, the press should just be quiet and deal with the facts rather than make up stories.”

If it was up to the drivers, though, they might give it a miss. Timo Glock is a brave lone voice: “Why should we expose ourselves to unnecessary risk?” he asked rhetorically.

“If it was up to me, we wouldn’t go there,” he told Germany’s Auto Motor und Sport.

Bahrain circuit boss Sheikh Salman bin Isa Al-Khalifa, however, dismissed the risk of violence.

“These incidents can happen anywhere,” he told AP news agency. “It’s not going to stop our grand prix.”

Ecclestone added: “I don’t need any personal security, but whatever’s necessary will be looked after.”

According to a poll in popular British magazine F1 Racing, 60,000 of the 100,000 F1 fans polled internationally said it is “not right” for the race to go ahead.

Looking forward to the event, however, is the Bahrain Centre for Human Rights.

Nabeel Rajab, the president, is quoted by the Telegraph: “(F1) is helping dictators and we are going to protest.

“We are going to use the opportunities that a lot of journalists are there and we are going to protest everywhere.”

Sir Frank Williams has stepped down from the board of his own formula one team.
Earlier this week, the Grove based team’s 69-year-old founder, major shareholder and team principal named chairman Adam Parr as his future successor.

“If for whatever reason I couldn’t come in to do my job, Adam would fill the gap,” he told the British magazine F1 Racing.

On Friday, a team statement read: “Sir Frank Williams, founder and team principal, announced his decision to step down from the board.”

He explained: “I turn 70 in April and I have decided to signal the next stage in the gradual but inevitable process of handing over the reins to the next generation.

“This is not as dramatic a move as it may appear: I shall continue to work full-time as team principal and I shall continue to attend all board meetings as observer,” added Williams.

He will also have a Williams family member on the board, as his daughter Claire steps up to be director of marketing and communications.

Frank Williams said: “I am proud to say that she has fought hard to earn this appointment and of all the battles she has had to fight, the prejudices of her father were not the least challenging.”

Late last year, the team’s co-founder Patrick Head also stepped down.

 Sir Frank Williams has named Adam Parr, the Oxfordshire based team’s current chairman, as his obvious successor.
69-year-old founder Williams remains the major shareholder and team principal, but he has already handed over the day-to-day running of the once-great outfit to fellow Briton Parr, 46.

“If for whatever reason I couldn’t come in to do my job, Adam would fill the gap,” Williams told the British magazine F1 Racing.

“He’s not a racer but, in a way, that’s probably an advantage in these distinctly commercial days,” he added.

Parr began his career with the investment bank Barclays de Zoete Wedd, and later worked for Rio Tinto.

He practiced law until the late 90s, meeting Williams in 2000.

Nico Rosberg has admitted his four-year tenure at Williams was “not ideal”.
At the age of 20, the German made his formula one debut with the famous British team in 2006, leaving only for Mercedes GP four full seasons later.

This year, he will spend a third consecutive season as the great Michael Schumacher’s highly respected teammate, while still looking to add a single race victory to his tally of now more than 100 grand prix starts.

With 20 fewer races than Rosberg on the odometer is his countryman Sebastian Vettel, who is today a back-to-back world champion and winner of 21 grands prix and 30 poles.

Does that annoy Rosberg?

“I have no regrets,” he said in an interview with Auto Motor und Sport. “I am completely convinced it was right to go to Mercedes and to stay here.”

But the German magazine’s interviewer reminded Rosberg, whose father Keke won 5 races and a title within his career-span of 114 starts, that at the end of 2007 McLaren expressed interest in teaming him alongside Lewis Hamilton.

“There was the interest, but Frank (Williams) would not let me go,” revealed Rosberg.

“Certainly being four years at Williams was not ideal — it could have been a bit shorter. But particularly the last season there was a springboard for me.

“Since then I have been always seventh in the standings and made some others aware of me.”

Kimi Raikkonen’s most recent teams think Sir Frank Williams would be wise to sign up the 2007 world champion for next season.
For his part, 69-year-old Williams remained calm amid the waves of speculation in Abu Dhabi, refusing to let slip the status of the talks with the former Ferrari and McLaren winner.

“I cannot make any comment about supposition, sorry to be so unhelpful,” he told reporters.

McLaren boss Martin Whitmarsh, however – now the head of Raikkonen’s Woking based employer between 2002 and 2006 – was emphatic when asked what advice he has for Williams.

“Try and sign him,” said the Briton. “I hope that he (Raikkonen) is hungry.

“I am sure he hasn’t lost the capability to thrill us so I think it would be fantastic for formula one,” added Whitmarsh.

“I wouldn’t ordinarily presume to advise Sir Frank who he should sign but I think it would be exciting if he did.”

Another man in Abu Dhabi who knows Raikkonen well is Stefano Domenicali, team boss at Ferrari, the Finn’s last F1 team and the scene of his title triumph.

“I know Kimi very well,” said the Italian. “He is very talented, very strong, he was the last driver to win the world championship with us and he will want to show he is still one of the strongest.”

Amid all the speculation about the identity of his 2012 teammate, it seems clear that Pastor Maldonado can relax about keeping his race seat at Williams.

Rubens Barrichello, Adrian Sutil and – to the delight of F1′s rumour mill and headline writers – Kimi Raikkonen are reportedly in contention for the Oxfordshire based team’s second seat.

But although Venezuelan rookie and last year’s GP2 champion Maldonado has not yet been officially confirmed for 2012, boss Sir Frank Williams admitted in Abu Dhabi that the heavily backed 26-year-old can relax.

“I am sure Pastor will be in one car,” he said at Yas Marina.

In some quarters, Maldonado is still dismissed as little more than a pay-driver, with his PDVSA sponsorship and personal support from Venezualan president Hugo Chavez said to run into the dozens of millions.

But when asked who he thinks is this year’s standout rookie, Fernando Alonso told AS newspaper: “I like the season that has been done by Maldonado.

“He is usually always fighting with Barrichello or beating him and doing some pretty serious racing. I think he has done very well in his debut,” said the Ferrari driver and former back-to-back world champion.

Williams has settled a legal dispute with NASCAR team Michael Waltrip Racing.
In July, the NASCAR team alleged breach of contract when Oxfordshire based Williams signed Mike Coughlan as its new chief engineer.

Michael Waltrip Racing claimed Briton Coughlan’s deal was set to run through 2012.

Williams announced on Thursday that the parties have “reached an amicable solution”.

“Waltrip is a super team competing in a fantastic sport — the best thing for me is that as part of the deal I will get to see my first NASCAR race,” said team boss Sir Frank Williams.

Williams sees Kimi Raikkonen as the key to securing a major new sponsor, according to a Finnish newspaper.
The 2007 world champion recently visited the British team’s headquarters, and rumours in Singapore said the parties are serious about potentially working together next season.

According to Ilta Sanomat newspaper, signing Raikkonen could secure the team the backing of the part state-owned Qatar National Bank.

Williams already has links with Qatar, including the Williams Technology Centre located in the Arab emirate.

The report said Sir Frank Williams has been trying “for several years” to sign the Qatari bank as a sponsor.

During his last grand prix as Williams’ technical director in Singapore two weeks ago, Sam Michael was asked if the team is now taking its driver decisions on financial grounds.

“I think Williams will make the choices that are best for the company and the best results. That’s what it will come down to,” he said.

The Australian also hinted that Pastor Maldonado, strongly backed by Venezuala, is set to stay in 2012.

“You can definitely start to see the signs as to whether a rookie is capable or not by mid-season and I would definitely put Pastor Maldonado in that category,” he said.

“And if he wasn’t in that category, he wouldn’t have kept his drive going forward. So I can see the guy having an even stronger year next year,” added Michael.

Sam Michael is headed to McLaren in 2012, it was announced officially on Tuesday.
Earlier, the rumour was doing the rounds on the microblogging website Twitter.

Amid Williams’ struggle for performance in recent years, Australian Michael resigned his post as technical director in May. The Oxfordshire based team said on Tuesday his last race will be Singapore next weekend.

In 2012, the 40-year-old will then return to the paddock as McLaren’s new sporting director.

He will have “responsibility for the development and management of the team’s trackside operations”, a McLaren statement said.

“I am delighted that Sam has found a new role that will enable him to continue to apply his energy, passion and experience to formula one,” commented Sir Frank Williams in a separate statement.

Williams has already replaced Michael with Mike Coughlan as well as Mark Gillan, who will start work next week.

Rubens Barrichello’s future at Williams is not yet secure, team boss Sir Frank Williams has admitted.
Brazilian veteran Barrichello, 39, said this week that while he wants to drive the team’s new Renault-powered car in 2012, he is yet to be offered a deal.

“Well, I can’t say anything about our drivers until we have made up our own minds,” confirmed Williams at Silverstone.

Barrichello also said this week that he is not ruling out a switch to a rival team.

Williams said he rates the winner of 11 grands prix “very highly”.

“He is truly a treasure trove of information and experience and that’s something that will not be thrown away lightly,” he insisted.

Asked if Barrichello has performed well in 2011, Williams answered: “Yes, I think he has. I think if we had given him a better car he would have been very close to the front, if not at the front. He is a superb driver.”