The rumour mill in Formula 1 has powered back on for 2016, and its first suggestion is that Pastor Maldonado may leave Renault before the season begins. It’s rumoured that former McLaren driver Kevin Magnussen may step into the team due to financial problems in Venezuela possibly hampering his sponsor PDVSA.
The very weakest of rumours even state that the Danish driver could be taking the test and reserve driver role vacated by the promoted Jolyon Palmer, where he could start breathing down the neck of the Venezuelan for a future seat.
Many can joke about Maldonado’s plight in recent years following a number of high-profile crashes, and many may wonder what more he can give the sport given that he is now approaching the age of 31 before the start of the season.
This is the same age as two probable title challengers Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg will be this year, who have already managed 57 wins between them, and some will say he no longer has time on his side.
However, what would Formula 1 lose if Maldonado left picked up his helmet and left tomorrow? Here are four reasons that could stake a claim for his inclusion on the grid.
Maldonado’s improvement as a driver?
It actually looked like Maldonado had improved during the last season. Last year was statistically, you have to say, his best in the sport. Not only was he in points-scoring positions before incidents, such as when he went off at the pit entry and he collided with Jenson Button in China, but he scored points on six occasions, gathering 27 points.
Much like people love Romain Grosjean’s Spa podium because it was with a cash-strapped team, Maldonado scored those points on four occasions near the end of the season when it looked like the team wouldn’t even get into the circuit at points, with bailiffs and locked doors in front of them, an amazing feat really.
Driving with potential?
It’s always been clear that the Venezuelan has got the potential to win Grands Prix, having brilliantly won the 2012 Spanish Grand Prix in one of Williams’ most emotional afternoons in years. Maldonado is in a frustratingly large group of drivers, such as Nico Hulkenberg and former team-mate Romain Grosjean who are great drivers on their day, but have never really been given a chance.
Does Maldonado still have a level of potential that we don’t know about that could be unlocked? With Maldonado performing well at the end of the season, maybe the best way to get the potential out of him is surrounding him with chaos.
A new stability?
Although Renault haven’t had a good record in the first two years of the V6 hybrid era, a Renault car which quickly catches up to the front in either 2016 or 2017 will surely give Maldonado a chance at the front with a team that isn’t cash-strapped or have a poor power unit.
A stable platform with no dramas going on may even help him to calmly manage to string together more runs like those that gave him three points-scoring finishes in Japan, Russia and the USA.
Becoming a team leader?
If he stayed in 2016, Maldonado would cross the 100 Grands Prix barrier. Due to this experience, he is effectively now the leader of the Renault team, helping Jolyon Palmer get back up to scratch on his race craft after a year away from consistently racing after winning the GP2 championship in 2014. Giving him this responsibility may allow him to shine as an experienced team leader.
Over the years, the sport contains many stories about drivers who have achieved spectacular things despite wild antics. Romain Grosjean is just one example of a driver who was written off and came back spectacularly, with the same team no less.
Would these factors give Maldonado a chance of a personal best season in 2016, or is he forever doomed for the history books and the infamous synonymous crash update website?
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