18/03/2012
NEWS STORY
Mat Coch writes:
It was a race that got away from Williams after one of its strongest performances in recent seasons. Set for a useful haul of points the team's Melbourne hopes were shattered on the final lap when Pastor Maldonado crashed out.
The team had shown glimpses of pace all weekend, most notably in qualifying. Bruno Senna setting the 14th fastest time while Maldonado surprised many to reach the final session, recording the 8th fastest lap.
Senna's race didn't get off to the best start. A collision at the first turn saw the Brazilian spin and beat a hasty retreat to the pits for repairs, dropping him down the order. He made painfully slow progress until the pack gathered behind the safety car as officials cleared Vitaly Petrov's stricken Caterham from the pit straight.
The eventful race continued only for Senna to tangle with Felipe Massa's Ferrari in the closing stages. The pair limped back to the pits and retirement for an incident the stewards felt the need to investigate. It proved a non-event with both drivers escaping any punishment beyond their early baths.
Maldonado ran consistently within the top ten, enjoying the company of Mark Webber's Red Bull for periods before battling with Fernando Alonso's Ferrari. Then disaster struck. Almost within sight of the flag, and with eight points almost in his pocket, the Venezuelan spun. Clouting the wall in dramatic fashion at Turn 7 the Williams slid helplessly out of the race while the points slipped painfully away - Williams having scored just five points in all 2011.
"I'm disappointed for sure," Maldonado said afterwards. "But we need to take the positive things of the weekend.
"We are very competitive," he added. "We need to keep pushing like that."
Senna was equally enthusiastic despite the disappointing result. "We could have scored points with both cars today but when things are not supposed to happen they don't!
"It gives us great confidence that the car was quick here and it could have scored points," he continued. "Next time we hope that we've got everything together."