![]() Viso, who is in Ind圜ar many, many racing drivers.” “It was not only my career it was the career of many racing drivers, Rodolfo Gonzalez (GP2), E.J. When asked how much the late president had personally helped his career, Maldonado answered: “A lot. The death of Chavez, a self-styled” 21st Century socialist,” left Venezuela in a state of flux and it arguably deprived Maldonado of his biggest supporter. The team held a celebratory preseason lunch on 5 March but later that evening Venezuelan President Chavez died following a long battle with cancer. The portents on the eve of the season had not been good. The Williams car has lagged behind its midfield rivals and Maldonado finally won the team’s first point of the season in Hungary – the 10th race of the year. This season has raised Maldonado’s stress levels even further. Pastor maldonado tv#“We have two live TV channels so it’s getting bigger and bigger – which is why I have even more responsibility.” “You know, F1 after my victory last year became a very popular sport,” Maldonado explained. Maldonado was not the first F1 pilot from Venezuela – that honor went to Italian born Ettore Chimeri in 1959 – but he became the first Venezuelan to win a grand prix in Spain during the 2012 season. “In Venezuela we don’t like to lose, we always approach to win.” Pastor maldonado driver#“I was the first racing driver who was racing with the colors of PDVSA, the main oil company of the country. “PDVSA and the sponsors I had in the past, and that I still have, believe in my talent,” said Maldonado, who is still aware that he has to sing for his supper. Like most F1 racers, the 28-year-old Williams driver progressed from karting through the junior ranks before winning the GP2 title in 2010.īut there is no doubt that the final step into an F1 race seat was sweetened by sponsorship from PDVSA to the tune of a reported $45m a year. It’s quite hard for me to keep everyone happy.” “I am the only one in Venezuela who has Formula 1 on his back. “I have more than many responsibilities,” Maldonado explained with a half smile. Pastor maldonado drivers#As well as the traditional logos prominently painted on the car’s livery, Venezuela now gets a mention every time Maldonado is strapped into a car.īut how do the drivers cope with these unique patriotic pressures of essentially being an ambassador in a racesuit? Sponsoring a driver or team is also a powerful marketing tool. “As these drivers move into F1, they will bring their sponsors with them and we’ll see more and more countries getting involved as F1 sponsors.” “In the last couple of years logos for countries including Venezuela, Monaco, Romania, Angola, Russia and Colombia have all appeared on the cars and Venezuela even title sponsors the Lazarus team. Pastor maldonado series#“It’s not so common in F1 at the moment, but this is already a big source of funding in its feeder series GP2. “F1’s values of technology and glamor are often something that developing countries want to align themselves with. “If a government thinks that it can increase trade and tourism by presenting an image of itself as a technologically savvy, glamorous destination and a center of sporting excellence, then F1 is a good way to achieve this,” Sylt continued. Part of the sport’s appeal is that it immediately gives its backers structured access to nearly 20 global markets. “In turn, teams have had to look for new sources of funding to maintain their budgets.”į1’s peripatetic players visit five continents and 19 countries in 2013 – and in 2014 there are additional races scheduled in Russia, Austria, the United States and Mexico. This meant that, according to Formula Money’s data, team owner spending plummeted from $1.6 billion in 2008 to $611 million in 2010, despite the addition of two new teams. “In 20, F1 lost Honda, BMW and Toyota while Renault also slashed its spending. “The departure of the car manufacturers left a big hole in the budgets of many teams,” said Sylt. It’s natural that as F1 expands the calendar and goes into new markets want to be involved and invest in the sport.”Ĭhristian Sylt, co author of Formula Money, an annual report examining all aspects of the sport’s finances, believes countries now have a role to play in filling the gap left by F1’s traditional investors. “There are only two world sports – football and F1. McLaren team principal Martin Whitmarsh explained to CNN: “Last year Formula 1 was watched by over half a billion people. But why do countries want to invest in the fickle world of F1 in the first place, where there is no tangible return on their investment? ![]()
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