GP2: Maldonado The Man They're Chasing

Formula 1

GP2: Maldonado The Man They’re Chasing

Pastor Maldonado has led the way so far in 2010...

SPEED Staff | Posted July 09, 2010 Northamptonshire (UK)

Pastor Maldonado is reportedly in talks with Sauber. (Photo: LAT Photographic)

The halfway mark of the 2010 GP2 Series season has arrived and one man is running ahead of the pack: Pastor Maldonado.

The Venezuelan has taken a commanding lead in the series' title fight after a strong start to the season, and has pocketed two race wins already. Together with teammate Luiz Razia, he has put his quad Rapax at the top of the teams’ standings, but the other contestants hope to catch up in the second half of the season.

While all eyes were on Addax’s Sergio Perez who seemed the best fitted to challenge Maldonado’s plan, it is his teammate Giedo van der Garde who, through pace and poised skills, has managed to climb to third in the drivers’ standings while Perez and Racing Engineering’s Dani Clos have failed to capitalize on a great start to the season. In Valencia, as Perez had mixed luck with technical gremlins, Clos managed to salvage a few crucial points in an otherwise challenging race weekend. The Mexican has dropped to fifth in the classification, behind Razia who failed to score points for the first time this season.

Silverstone hosts the fifth round of the championship this weekend. The fast, flowing and abrasive circuit, known to be very tough on tires, will be quite the challenge for all the drivers. The new layout of the venue will also surely make for close racing as local hero Oliver Turvey explains.

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“Silverstone is a great track and I have had many great races there," Turvey said. "It’s a really fast, flowing track, and with Copse and Becketts you’ve got one of the best first sector combinations of any track out there. Abbey, the first corner on to the new section, used to be a chicane but it’s now very quick. There’s also a tight little complex that looks quite interesting in terms of offering chances to overtake or try different lines. I think it should add a different aspect to the track, and I’m looking forward to it.

"The key to a quick lap at Silverstone is really commitment, particularly in the fast corners. Becketts especially is a place where you’ve got to get your line exactly right. Having prior experience of that area is very useful. It has four sections, and if you’re slightly out in one section, it affects you all the way through, so you’ve got to be really precise and committed.”

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