After Williams had had on the first two of the three days of testing at Valencia technical problems with its new KERS, Pastor Maldonado was on Thursday over a hundred laps with the system. The rookie was the seventh fastest lap time of the day (1:14.299 minutes), with which he was also much faster than his experienced team-mate Rubens Barrichello during the day before.
“I now feel much more comfortable in the car,” said the man from Venezuela, who tried out on Thursday next KERS also the new, adjustable rear wing. “I work better with the team and develop the car both in long runs than short stints. I feel better from time to time I get in the car.”
Maldonado was in high spirits on Thursday, after he received an important visitor at the racetrack: the Venezuelan ambassador to Spain, looked over at the Williams box and inquired of the largest motorsport hope of his country after the recent progress. “It was the first time that I met the ambassador, and for me it is great that he came here and supported me personally.”
“To know people like the ambassador behind me is very important to me. This shows that Venezuela supports me and the sport is very strong,” said Maldonado, who in the form of the state oil company PDVSA a sponsor in the back, prominently this season visible on the rear wing of the FW33 is.
Williams technical director Sam Michael was the last day of testing at Valencia also satisfied. While Barrichello was on the first two days of KERS still brake and electrical problems, Maldonado was able to try out all the systems of the new car extensively. “He did a good job you were to know all the control systems,” said Michael.
“There is a lot, think about the driver’s cockpit must now, with KERS, the rear wing, the brakes and the tires, which must be maintained at temperature,” gone, drove the experienced engineer. “We have made several changes to the vote to get to know the car, and some long runs down to temperature checks carried out.”
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