Regular podiums and finishing higher than eighth in the constructors’ championship is what Pastor Maldonado is targeting next season.
Following confirmation that the Venezuelan will remain at Williams in 2013 – alongside Bruno Senna’s replacement Valtteri Bottas – Maldonado is aiming to challenge the top teams on a more regular basis after claiming a solitary podium this year – a win in Spain.
“The goal is to be more competitive next year and have a car that is consistently in the points and challenging for podiums,” said the 27-year-old. “This year we showed excellent pace at a number of tracks such as Barcelona, Monaco and Abu Dhabi, but we didn’t have the consistency to maintain that at every Grand Prix.
“I would be happy if we finished higher than eighth in the constructors’ championship. I firmly believe that we have all the tools we need to become a top team again and fight for podiums more consistently than we have this year.”
He admits it will be a challenge to fight the top three teams which dominate the podium positions, but is encouraged by the teams progress.
“It’s not easy as the standard is so high right now, but the gap between the teams is very small which means that a few tenths per lap can make all the difference,” he added.
“Whilst we haven’t quite achieved the sort of success we would have liked in the past few years, the team is still really strong and we have brought in some new senior people who are making a big difference already. I feel that Williams is close to making a real breakthrough and I want to be a part of a new era of success.”
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