MOTORSPORT: Maldonado out to secure deal (From Oxford Mail)

MOTORSPORT: Maldonado out to secure deal

11:30am Saturday 1st September 2012 in Sport

Pastor Maldonado feels an incident-filled season will not count against him when it comes to a potential contract renewal with the Grove-based Williams team.

Maldonado has angered a number of drivers throughout the campaign with his gung-ho style and has been involved in clashes with Sergio Perez, Lewis Hamilton, Romain Grosjean and Paul di Resta.

On the positive side, Venezuelan Maldonado gave Williams their first win for seven and a half years in Spain in May, a stand-out result as nine of 11 races have failed to yield a point.

“I’m looking forward. The team is working hard on next year, so we will see,” said Maldonado ahead of tomorrrow’s Belgian Grand Prix at Spa-Francorchamps.

“At the moment I’m still concentrating on this year, there are nine races to go, so we are right in the middle of the season.

“Obviously I’m not guaranteed a place for next year and there have been no talks, but Williams always wait until the end of the season, so I’m not anxious – not yet.

“But I feel I’m doing quite well. I’ve put the team at the top (with my win), I like the people, we have a great relationship, but we’ll see. Anything can happen.”

Meanwhile, Kimi Raikkonen, in the Enstone-based Lotus, is determined to chalk up a fifth Belgian Grand Prix victory.

The 32-year-old Finn said: “Obviously it would be great to win at Spa for a fifth time. For me there have only been good memories from Spa and it’s great to go racing there.

“For me it is the greatest racing circuit in the world. It is my favourite place.”