GP2: Maldonado Rolls In Silverstone Feature

Formula 1

GP2: Maldonado Rolls In Silverstone Feature

Pastor Maldonado turned in a dominant performance Saturday at Silverstone...

SPEED Staff | Posted July 10, 2010 Northamptonshire (UK)

Pastor Maldonado crushed the field in the GP2 Series feature race at Silverstone. (Photo: LAT Photographic)

Pastor Maldonado made light work of collecting his third victory of the season in Saturday's GP2 Series feature race at Silverstone, storming off into the distance when the lights went out and leaving Jules Bianchi and Dani Clos in his wake.

The Frenchman’s chance of victory was over at the start when a slow getaway handed Maldonado a lead that, pit stops notwithstanding, he never relinquished, with Clos slotting in behind the led two. Oliver Turvey pushed across to protect himself after a less than optimal start, but countryman Sam Bird was through and gone before he got there, with Giedo van der Garde also gaining from Charles Pic’s starting woes.

Pic had more misfortune a lap later when a hard-charging Sergio Perez just caught the rear of his car, sending the Frenchman into a spin and down to 11th position, with series returnee Luca Filippi dropping to last place after a misjudgement from Michael Herck damaged the Italian’s tires and forced him into an early stop.

Christian Vietoris took advantage of his qualifying pace by also stopping early and putting together a string of quick laps in clear air before the rest of field came in, promoting the German to fifth place when the stops shook out.

But back at the front Maldonado was untouchable as he led the field home, 10 seconds up on Bianchi, who had a similar margin over Clos as the checkered flag dropped.

The Spaniard held off strong pressure throughout the second half of the race from Bird to claim another podium finish.

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Perez was rewarded for his pressure after the stops to claim fifth place from Vietoris with two laps remaining, while van der Garde was possibly the unluckiest driver of the day, holding onto seventh place until a few corners from the end when he ran over some carbon and couldn’t turn in, waving iSport duo Davide Valsecchi and Oliver Turvey through for the final points positions and the front row for Sunday's sprint race.

But with the crowd beneath the podium holding three fingers up to the podium, it was clear that championship leader Maldonado was the apple of his team’s eye, stretching out his points lead even further as his rivals had no answer for the Venezuelan’s speed.

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