If you have followed Formula 1 for these past few years, the name Pastor Maldonado should not need any further introduction. Notoriously known for crashing his multi-million race car into anything imaginable, the nickname Maldonator had also stuck on Venezuelan racer as there has been countless of them throughout his F1 racing career.
If you have been left biting your nails on every race hoping that Maldonado will not be crashing into your favourite driver/team, you may now breathe a sigh of relief as Pastor Maldonado will not be in the grid for the 2016 Formula 1. Following the collapse of his deal with Renault where long-time backers PDVSA was late with payments, Renault (formerly known as Lotus) has terminated Maldonado’s contract and has pursued a deal with Kevin Magnussen instead.
The news is not any rumour either as Maldonado himself has made a statement regarding his latest status in the sport. It is a long one, but we will stick to the important ones for you guys. “It has been 23 years in the exciting world of sports. I started at a young age. With the help from my family we grew up and I started to form as a professional. I tasted success, that thing that leaves you eager to fight even more”.
“Today with the biggest humility I inform you that I won’t be on the grid at the start of the 2016 season. Thanks for all the messages of support, passion and concerns about my future. I’m very thankful to God, my family, my sponsors, my friends, my fans, and everybody who has helped me materialise this dream of having represented Venezuela in the pinnacle of motorsports. See you soon!”
Some may be happy on hearing the news, but we have gotten used to the ol’ chap bringing some drama on the track which always leaves us wondering “Who or how is he going to crash this time?”
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