F1's astonishing season continues to live up to the hype, as a fifth driver and constructor on Sunday won the fifth grand prix of 2012. Not only is the victory Pastor Maldonado's first, his walk up the steps at the Circuit de Catalunya was the first taste of the podium in his two-season F1 career.
It's also the first Venezuelan triumph in the sport's history, and a hugely popular victory for Williams, the once-great British team headed by Sir Frank Williams, whose 70th birthday was warmly celebrated in the paddock on Saturday. "Boy did we need that," said Williams on BBC television. And asked how he feels on Sky television, he smiled: "Relief."
"Some said Maldonado was a pay driver and he didn't deserve his place in formula one but they'll be eating their words now," commented former team driver David Coulthard. "That was a fantastic drive," added Coulthard, referring to Williams' first win since Juan Pablo Montoya in 2004.
Williams enthused: "I didn't see him (Maldonado) make one single mistake."
"You can't really fault him," agreed Williams' 1996 world champion Damon Hill.
Amazingly, however, away from the champagne, Sebastian Vettel's sixth place leaves him at the top of the drivers' championship, and he is now neck-and-neck with Fernando Alonso, who finished second on Sunday in the improving Ferrari.
Lewis Hamilton, who finished dead last on Sunday and finished eighth, is third in the points classification, ahead of Lotus' Kimi Raikkonen.
Finn Raikkonen finished third on Sunday, and is the favourite to become F1's sixth different winner of 2012 in Monaco in a fortnight. "We showed we still have the speed," the Lotus driver said after the Spanish grand prix. "If we had a few more laps, we could have fought for a victory." (GMM)
Maldonado wins, Alonso and Vettel lead title
- Published on 14 May 2012 08:38
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- By: Rob Veenstra
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Circuit de Catalunya - Winter testing
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L. Norris
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C. Leclerc
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A. Antonelli
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Bahrain International Circuit - Winter testing
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G. Russell
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Formula 1 Calendar - 2026
Date
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Circuit
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Spain
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Bahrain
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Bahrain
Formula 1 Calendar - 2026
Date
Grand Prix & Circuit
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Spain
Circuit de Catalunya
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Bahrain
Bahrain International Circuit
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Bahrain
Bahrain International Circuit
6 - Mar 8
Australia
Albert Park
13 - Mar 15
27 - Mar 29
Japan
Circuit Suzuka
10 - Apr 12
Bahrain
Bahrain International Circuit
17 - Apr 19
Saudi Arabia
Jeddah Street Circuit
1 - May 3
United States of America
Miami International Autodrome
22 - May 24
Canada
Gilles Villeneuve
5 - Jun 7
Monaco
Monte Carlo
12 - Jun 14
Spain
Circuit de Catalunya
Driver profile
- Team Aston Martin
- Points 628
- Podiums 9
- Grand Prix 196
- Country ES
- Date of b. Jul 29 1981 (44)
- Place of b. Oviedo, ES
- Weight 68 kg
- Length 1.71 m
- 187,456 comments on Aston Martin
78 members have this team as their favourite
Tweets about Fernando Alonso
Team profile
- Team name Ferrari
- Base Maranello, Italy
- Kimi Räikkönen 1
- Michael Schumacher 1
- Michael Schumacher 1
- Felipe Massa 2
- Fernando Alonso 3
- Felipe Massa 3
- Michael Schumacher 3
- Felipe Massa 4
- Kimi Räikkönen 4
- Sebastian Vettel 5
- Fernando Alonso 5
- Fernando Alonso 5
- Felipe Massa 5
- Michael Schumacher 5
- Michael Schumacher 5
- Felipe Massa 6
- Felipe Massa 6
- Kimi Räikkönen 6
- Felipe Massa 6
- Kimi Räikkönen 7
- Felipe Massa 7
- Fernando Alonso 8
- Fernando Alonso 14
- Charles Leclerc 16
- Gerhard Berger 28
- Gerhard Berger 28
- Lewis Hamilton 44
- Carlos Sainz jr 55
- 507,886 comments on Ferrari
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