MELBOURNE, Australia - Pastor Maldonado has admitted he cannot be certain his F1 career will continue for long now that Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez is dead.
Chavez sponsored the Williams F1 team through the state-controlled PDVSA oil company. Cancer caused his death in early March 2013 and Maldonado went home for the funeral ahead of the Australian F1 GP.
Asked if Chavez' death would affect his career, Maldonado answered: "Politically, I don't know. I think many of you in the media have said everything is gone for me, but here I am. We'll see."
WORSE WITHOUT CHAVEZ
Maldonado backed Chavez's controversial approach to ploughing state money into sport, Maldonado noting that previously "people only knew Venezuela for oil and the girls".
"I think it changed a lot with Chavez," said. "Now it can be worse. We've started and now we need to carry on."
Chavez sponsored the Williams F1 team through the state-controlled PDVSA oil company. Cancer caused his death in early March 2013 and Maldonado went home for the funeral ahead of the Australian F1 GP.
Asked if Chavez' death would affect his career, Maldonado answered: "Politically, I don't know. I think many of you in the media have said everything is gone for me, but here I am. We'll see."
WORSE WITHOUT CHAVEZ
Maldonado backed Chavez's controversial approach to ploughing state money into sport, Maldonado noting that previously "people only knew Venezuela for oil and the girls".
"I think it changed a lot with Chavez," said. "Now it can be worse. We've started and now we need to carry on."