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Maldonado suspended for nine races

Pastor Maldonado suspended for 9 races The Venezuelan driver and RDD member was suspended for nine races of the World Series by Renault championship after a serious incident in free practice. During practice last Thursday in Monaco, a car ...

Published: May 26, 2005, 2:56 PM

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Pastor Maldonado suspended for 9 races

The Venezuelan driver and RDD member was suspended for nine races of the World Series by Renault championship after a serious incident in free practice.

During practice last Thursday in Monaco, a car crashed and was left stranded on the circuit. The marshals were rapidly on the scene to clear the track. 19 year old Pastor Maldonado did not see the yellow flags, and arrived on the scene at high speed. Taken by surprise, he was unable to avoid one of the marshals and ran into him. Following that accident, Pastor was suspended for 9 races, including Monaco.

What happened Pastor?

We had been running for about half an hour and I was feeling confident in the car's handling. That was when Pilet crashed and the marshals came on to the track. The yellow flags were out, but I only saw them very late and could not avoid one of the marshals...

You have been penalised for driving dangerously. How do you respond?

I feel very bad. Gilles, the marshal I hit, could have been even more injured through my mistake. I went to see him the next day in hospital firstly to apologise, and also to show him my support. We talked about things calmly, then shook hands. I hope very much that he will recover quickly and will be able to marshal again. The job the marshals do is fantastic - they put themselves at risk to keep us safe. They are real motorsport fans and as drivers, we really need them.

You have been suspended for the next four meetings...

Yes, I'm going through very difficult times, but a penalty under such circumstances is justified. I will be training hard to stay in shape and will be back in competition at Donington having learned the lesson of what happened in Monaco. Being a responsible driver is part of what I am learning.

-renault-

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