Underdogs optimistic as ever for a Sunday showdown

Abu Dhabi - Thirty-year-old Maldonado, one of the better drivers Venezuela has produced in recent years, made his Formula One debut with the Williams team in 2011, and the convincing championship win in the GP2 Series in 2010 impressed many pundits.

Pastor Maldonado of the Mercedes powered Lotus F1 Team and 24-year old Spaniard, Roberto Merhi of Manor Marussia-Ferrari, may belong to two outfits whose performance levels have been improving on differing scales on the Formula 1 circuit this season.
Lying 14th in the 21-driver standings list with 27 points is Maldonado, 22 adrift of teammate and lead pilot of the outfit, Romain Grosjean who is in 12th position on 49 points. Lotus-Mercedes (76 points) are in sixth spot in the constructors championship listing of 10 teams.
Thirty-year-old Maldonado, one of the better drivers Venezuela has produced in recent years, made his Formula One debut with the Williams team in 2011, and the convincing championship win in the GP2 Series in 2010 impressed many pundits.
Maldonado finds the track here in Abu Dhabi absolutely to his liking. "A good surface no doubt all these years and during testing and early runs it behaves so evenly making it fair to the field in general.
"This is important for everyone for there is a chance even for the ones late in the developmental and equipment aspects. This is an ideal location and a convenient centre for testing before and after the races. We as a team have lots to do when it comes to testing to be in line with our development plans," he added.
Maldonado is anticipating, like the typical optimist he is, a good future ahead of him and the team. "It is a rosy picture again now that the lead sponsors who have stuck with us and believe in us, and the power plant backups from those in comeback bids.
Merhi was more conservative in his outlook. "Yeah for sure we started in a very difficult way, with no testing and to be honest I never drove this car before. But I think through the year the thing improved quite a lot - I mean the team and also the car and also me, driving the car.
"I think the last races were quite good. And obviously the best moment of the year I would say were the last laps in Silverstone with the wet or maybe the qualifying in Spielberg which was quite good as well." Merhi is in last position in the drivers list with 0 points just like team-mate Will Stevens who is in 19th. The Russian outfit naturally occupy the last spot in the Constructors standings on a 'duck' (0).
Maldonado has reasons to still feel secure. Despite his accident and crash prone record in recent times, his personal backers have stood by him. Getting used to a new line of V6 turbocharged systems will be a challenge not only to him and his new driving partner after Grosjean's departure but also for the renowned constructor, engineers and maintenance hands.
For the south American, his continuation with Lotus in 2016 means a third season with them. His personal sponsors' role of encouraging him further in a bid to realise his potential is a comforting thought indeed.
On the Abu Dhabi track, he added: "The bigger number of slow corners here in Abu Dhabi does cut down on the timings and overall momentum but the challenge is to negotiate them as sharply and quickly as possible."
"So to have a stable car that can hold and cling on to the surface is far more crucial than just speed. In the past we have done well here and our overall output on the aerodynamics will play a pivotal role."
moni@khaleejtimes.com