Published: Today at 15:05
FRANK WILLIAMS celebrated his team’s first victory since 2004, as plucky Pastor Maldonado stormed to victory at the Spanish Grand Prix.
The Oxfordshire-based team last won an F1 race when Juan Pablo Montoya tasted victory at the Brazilian Grand Prix eight years ago.
But here it was Venezuela’s Maldonado who was the hero after holding off a strong challenge from local favourite, Fernando Alonso.
Kimi Raikkonen was in third place while McLaren duo Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button ended in eighth and ninth place respectively, but in truth this was always going to be a struggle for the British duo.
Hamilton was forced to start from the back of the grid following his harsh punishment after Saturday’s qualifying session.
The Brit set a brilliant fastest lap that was half a second quicker than Maldonado, yet the result was scrapped after he ground to a halt half a lap from the pits on the slow-down lap.
Officials revealed that McLaren did not provide him with enough fuel to return to the pits and supply a one- litre sample for testing.
They therefore hit Hamilton with the penalty which meant he had to drop to last place for the start of this race.
Saturday’s session was also a miserable one for Hamilton’s teammate Button, who started this race in 10th place.
Both drivers had their sights on cutting through the field, Hamilton in particular was notably relishing the chance to make amends.
His disqualification from qualifying meant Maldonado started on pole, but it was a spot he quickly surrendered to Ferrari’s Alonso.
As the lights went out, local favourite Alonso was quicker into turn one and quickly leapfrogged his rival.
Much further back, Hamilton made a great start and was quickly up to 18th before a battle with Bruno Senna took him up to 17th and, by the time he was ending his ninth lap, he was up to 10th.
Senna then found himself the victim of Michael Schumacher, but this time the battle would end both drivers’ races early.
Schumacher had the advantage of newer tyres and the benefit of DRS as he chased down the Brazilian, yet he drove straight into the back of Senna’s Williams and ended in the kitty litter.
The seven-time world champion ripped off his steering wheel and threw it forward before labelling Senna an “idiot” over the team’s radio.
Race stewards have promised to investigate the coming together and Schumacher said: “I hope they clarify the situation.
“He moved to the right but it was very dangerous. I don’t know what he was trying to prove.
"I don’t know what was going through his mind.”
Senna, who suffered a rear puncture and was forced to retire, hit back and added: “I don’t think Michael would ever say ‘it is my fault’.
“He had better tyres and tried to dive into the inside, but he did not do it earlier enough.”
There was even more drama in a thrilling start to this race, as McLaren’s pit stop woes again rose to the surface at the end of lap 14.
Hamilton’s stop looked to be okay but when he pulled away he clipped a tyre that had been removed, sending his car bouncing up into the air.
Fortunately, he did not cause any damage and he was able to resume his excellent scrap with Ferrari’s Felipe Massa.
The two have slugged it out on a number of occasions in the past and there were a few hairy moments here, as Hamilton tried his best to overtake his old enemy before finally succeeding.
The fight between Hamilton and Massa, plus the McLaren pit stop, took the focus from the front of this race as Maldonado reigned in Alonso’s advantage.
And he seized his advantage when Alonso was held up by backmarker Charles Pic before being forced to pit for new tyres.
While the Ferrari was being tended to in the pit, Maldonado breezed past down the straight before being able to open up a commanding lead.
It sparked delight in the Williams’ garage, as the unfancied 27-year-old resumed his place that the front, which silenced the majority in grandstand egging on Alonso.
But this was never going to be a cakewalk for Williams, who are enjoying a fabulous season after last year’s bitter disappointment.
Alonso began to pick up speed before he was able to catch sight of Maldonado’s rear wing. He continued to push him right up to the final lap.
But Maldonado handled the pressure brilliantly to take the first win of his career and to become the fifth different winner from the opening five races this season.
Two-time world champion Sebastian Vettel finished sixth ahead of Nico Rosberg.
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