From the depths of 2011, Williams is now ‘not far’ from the pace of F1’s strongest teams.<\/p>\n
That is the claim of Pastor Maldonado, who in the newly Renault-powered and Mike Coughlan-designed FW34 qualified eighth and was pushing Fernando Alonso for fifth in the race when he crashed out of Sunday’s season opener in Melbourne on the last lap.<\/p>\n
It indicated a major turnaround for the formerly championship-winning team that collapsed to a dismal ninth place in last year’s points standings.<\/p>\n
Venezuelan Maldonado hopes last Sunday was indeed the start of a Williams resurgence.<\/p>\n
He said this weekend in Malaysia “should be interesting”.<\/p>\n
“McLaren and Red Bull look strong, but we are not far away,” he is quoted by Finland’s Turun Sanomat.<\/p>\n
“We were very close to (Red Bull’s) Mark Webber in the first and second stints,” said Maldonado.<\/p>\n
“I think we are faster than Ferrari, Sauber and Force India,” he added.<\/p>\n
Maldonado’s last-lap crash in Australia cost Williams a full ten points — double the team’s tally of the entire 2011 season.<\/p>\n
“We need points in the future,” he acknowledged, “but we are also now more relaxed now.”<\/p>\n
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