Is Maldonado right and drivers make the difference this year?

[John S]

Or are tyres really dictating a teams pace at any given track?          
I'm sure Rosberg would have echoed Pastor's viewpoint (see the Autosport.com article below) shortly after his own maiden win in China, however after struggling in Bahrain and Spain any claim the driver plays a bigger role would seem hollow.            

Pastor Maldonado believes that the driver plays a bigger part in the competitive equation under Formula 1's current regulations.

The Spanish Grand Prix winner, speaking at the Williams factory on Thursday, likened the current situation to the GP2 series, with more drivers and cars able to be competitive and nobody having a decisive advantage.

"It has become like a GP2 championship," said Maldonado. "The drivers can make the difference and the teams can still work on the strategy and the car.

"It's a bit boring when you see one car winning. The season is more competitive."

Maldonado added that despite criticism by the likes of Michael Schumacher and Red Bull owner Dietrich Mateschitz about the tyres, it is still satisfying to win races under the current rules.

"The tyre degradation is quite big and it is true that you need to manage them," said Maldonado.

"This is part of the race and it's the same for everybody. There are no easy races. We need to adapt to the tyres, to the rules, to the car."

The Venezuelan added that the Williams team's understanding of the tyres played a key part in its success in Spain.

The way that he managed the rubber in the final stint in particular while under pressure from Ferrari driver Fernando Alonso was a decisive factor in his victory.

"The Pirellis are working quite well on our car at the moment," he said. "We have degradation, but it's the same for everybody.

"We've been working on the tyres. We built the car around the tyres and developed it around them.

"We understand very well how to do it [manage the tyres] especially on the driving [style] and the engineers managing the setup of the car."

Maldonado is confident that Williams could fight for further wins this season. He underlined that the team is getting stronger as the season goes on, although it's difficult to predict anything because of how rapidly the competitive order is changing.

"We will do our best," said Maldonado when asked if he could win again. "All of the teams are so close, the championship is so close and the gaps are close as well.

"But we are getting better every time. At the moment, we don't have the quickest car on the track but we are doing our best.

"Why not [win again]? But Formula 1 is changing all of the time. It's going to be difficult."

By Edd Straw, Autosport.com, Thurs 17th May.

[Scott]

Something really strange is going on if the Williams is so competitive this year.  Perhaps they have really come up with something that is easier on the tires than the other teams have found.  I hope he's right and this wasn't a one-off.  I am happy when a mid field team (sad to have to say that about Williams) can break on to the top step at least once a season.  I hope others will too. 

[Dare]

Something really strange is going on if the Williams is so competitive this year.  Perhaps they have really come up with something that is easier on the tires than the other teams have found.  I hope he's right and this wasn't a one-off.  I am happy when a mid field team (sad to have to say that about Williams) can break on to the top step at least once a season.  I hope others will too. 

I bet Rueben's is saying it's because of his testing.It's a shame
RB did all the work and Pastor get's all the credit

[Scott]

Lol...or maybe it's because Rubens is gone, along with his crap data.

[F1fanaticBD]

Perhaps Rubens was the heap that made the cars slower, because of his VAST experience it was too much for the team. SO in this season, with lighter car they are putting a nice show, Just Bruno breaking early causing a bi of stir...

[Jericoke]

It's certainly tough to say what it takes to win in 2012 in F1.  Different rules, different tracks, different drivers have all combined to create a spectacle that simply doesn't fit into how we understand F1.

I think there's a lot of luck at play here, having the right car for the right track would explain why winners can finish out of the points next race.

However, Maldonado has a point.  Have we ever seen such a spread between teammates as we have this year?  Maldonado vs Senna?  Rosberg vs Schumacher?  Alonso vs. Massa?  Luck certainly plays a factor, but there seems to be more room for skill than there has been recently. 

(5 of the top 6 drivers are recent champions.  If Maldonado is right, that makes sense.)

[cosworth151]

I agree with Pastor. I think the tire situation is posing a much wider test of the drivers' skill sets. 

[lkjohnson1950]

I think it's clear that no team has found "THE" design for these rules. Plus each race has had a different combination of abrasiveness, temperature, humidity, etc that affect how the cars aero packages work. Having a driver who can give good feedback is essential. It's odd to see Jenson struggling for that reason. Most "experts" think that if you do well in Spain, you should do well at most of the other European tracks. That should bode well for Williams. I think you can credit the new (to them) Renault engine package for some of their success.

[cosworth151]

I think you can credit the new (to them) Renault engine package for some of their success.

I don't.     

[lkjohnson1950]

Cosworth's problem was never the engine itself or the power, it was the transmission. I think the Williams package includes the R/b or Renault (Lotus) tranny, which seems to be an improvement. I love Cosworth as well, the original DFV was one of the finest designs ever.

[F1fanaticBD]

I agree with Lonny..

Cosworth was having some reliability issue, which made it difficult for teams to keep using them, specially after regulation which strictly requires longer racing-life..

Don't worry cos.. They will be back...WITH A BANG.....