Ericsson: “Maldonado has a reputation for being a bit crazy”

The new Caterham driver, Marcus Ericsson, represents Sweden’s new hope, a country with a history of Formula 1 drivers like Joakim Bonnier, Gunnar Nilsson, and Ronnie Peterson.

Before making a name for himself on the track, the young Swede has already caught attention in an interview given to Eurosport Sweden where he talked about his future colleagues on the starting grid. And he has already identified one who might cause him some problems if his reputation is to be believed: « Maldonado has a reputation for being a bit crazy. You always have to keep an eye on the people you race with. But there aren’t as many wild ones in Formula 1 as in GP2. »

The season has not yet started, and Pastor Maldonado is already being singled out by one of his fellow racers. It is true that in the past, the Venezuelan had already been criticized for his aggressive behavior on the track, though he was never heavily penalized for it as Romain Grosjean, his new teammate, was after the first-corner crash at the 2012 Belgian Grand Prix.

The Swede also comments on the weight limitation imposed by the FIA, which is 691 kg including the car and driver, following the regulation change, and on the difference it can make with his teammate Kamui Kobayashi: « 3 kg represent a tenth of a second per lap. And my teammate, Kamui, is seven to eight kilos lighter than me. What can I do? I can’t cut off a leg! I don’t eat hamburgers anymore, but I have to continue eating normally because I exert a lot of effort every day. I haven’t been asked to reach a specific weight, I’ll go down as much as I can, but I must ensure I can drive for two hours… but it’s a shame that the FIA didn’t want to increase the weight limit by 10 kg. It penalizes taller drivers. »