Pastor: Mentality key to qualy success

Tuesday 13th November 2012

Pastor: Mentality key to qualy success

Pastor: Mentality key to qualy success

Pastor Maldonado believes strong mentality has played an important role in his qualifying success with Williams.

The Venezuelan started on pole in Spain and also reached Q3 on nine other occasions, which is in sharp contrast to team-mate Bruno Senna's Saturday performances as he has only made it into the top 10 once.

Maldonado, who finds himself 14th in the standings with 43 points, feels mental strength has played a big part in his ability to consistently put his car in Q3.

"I think it's something mentally," he told James Allen on F1 podcast. "I'm quite strong mentally to be honest with you. There is not the perfect lap - it doesn't exist - you always can do better. What I learn from qualy one I do that in qualy two, and what I learn from qualy one and two I try to do that for qualy three.

"I try to put everything together in qualy three and that's why I often go to the top three, top five, because I try to get more than 100% from the myself, from the car, from the people around me. Qualy is very important because if you put the car in the top five the weekend changes completely."

Although Maldonado has received a lot of praise for his Saturday success, he feels those in Williams garage also deserves a lot of credit.

"To be honest it's not only from my side. I have a lot of support from the team," he said.

"I feel that the concentration is quite high. The communication is so good. They believe in what I feel in the car, they follow me, and this is so important. When the driver feels that you have 100% support behind you can give, and you can release, more than 100%.

"Working so hard as well with the technical side of the team, trying to improve the particular [things]. I really like a neutral car; so I don't like an understeer car or oversteer, so I'm very precise with the set-ups."

User comments

    Loading

      Post a comment

      Sunday's Pictures From Canada

      Editor's Picks

      Team-Mate Wars: Montreal

      Team-Mate Wars: Montreal

      Andrew Davies identifies the winners and losers in their respective teams from Sunday's Canadian Grand Prix in Montreal...

      Winners & Losers: Canada

      Winners & Losers: Canada

      Vettel broke Red Bull's North American duck by scoring a dominant win - despite excursions, delays and diversions...

      The Forum Is Stepping Up

      The Forum Is Stepping Up

      So Seb's staying put but Webber may not be. Would you put a STR driver in his car? And which one? Let's chat...

      Montreal With Sure For Men

      Montreal With Sure For Men

      Lotus sponsor Sure For Men brings you a detailed pictorial timeline of the team's Canadian GP weekend...

      The PF1 Fantasy League

      The PF1 Fantasy League

      Join the PlanetF1 Fantasy League and go up against the crew at PF1 in our 2013 Friends and Enemies battle...