![\"Pastor-Maldonado-2\"](\"https:\/\/www.racinginfocus.com\/rif\/gallery\/f1-2014-rif-images\/f1-2014-drivers\/Pastor-Maldonado-2.jpg\")
On the face of it, the Venezuelan switched his millions in PDVSA backing from a resurgent team to one entering a deep slump.<\/p>\nPastor Maldonado insists he has no regrets about moving from Williams to Lotus for 2014.<\/p>\n
On the face of it, the Venezuelan switched his millions in PDVSA backing from a resurgent team to one entering a deep slump.<\/p>\n
But Maldonado told Spain’s El Confidencial he was right to join Renault-powered Lotus.<\/p>\n
“Williams was not working as it should and so after three years I had to look for a new challenge, a new hope, something to motivate me.<\/p>\n
“I decided to come here because history said it was a great team,” he insisted, “and when I arrived I found exactly what I had sought.<\/p>\n
“The atmosphere is terrific and I say this because we are having many problems,” added Maldonado.<\/p>\n
“People say that the team is lost, it’s not the same as before but I think what has changed is the cars.\u00a0 We are experiencing a major technological transformation,” he explained.<\/p>\n
“We’ve had millions of problems, many of them insignificant and silly so it has taken us a lot of time.”<\/p>\n
While grappling with the troubled Renault-powered E22, Maldonado is having to watch the resurgent form of Williams, whose Felipe Massa and Valtteri Bottas have already scored 36 points in 2014.<\/p>\n
In contrast, Maldonado and Romain Grosjean’s combined tally is zero.<\/p>\n
“I’m very calm, really,” Maldonado insists.<\/p>\n
“Williams knew they were going to have a better car this year — for sure, being worse (than 2013) would have been virtually impossible.<\/p>\n
“It can always be worse, but it was on a scale where it was more likely to go up than down — we were fighting with the small teams, compared to Williams with its name, its structure, its factory.<\/p>\n
“They have shown they can do well but it is still hard to say if they can win races again,” Maldonado added.<\/p>\n
He said the biggest difference between 2013 and 2014 is the change of emphasis within the regulations from aerodynamics to engine.<\/p>\n
“Lotus was the only team that could attempt to reach the level of Red Bull,” said Maldonado.\u00a0 “Now the engine is dominant.”<\/p>\n
Finally, Maldonado was asked whether he is a fan of the ‘new’ F1.<\/p>\n
“Yes and no,” he responded.<\/p>\n
“First it is the same for everyone and so you have to adapt to the rules,” he explained.\u00a0 “It is what it is.\u00a0 No more.<\/p>\n
“I liked what we had before, but for sure we will develop soon and have better cars,” Maldonado added.<\/p>\n
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