Maldonado ends Williams’ long wait for victory

Pastor Maldonado yesterday ended Williams’ long wait for a Formula One victory with an historic chequered flag in the Spanish Grand Prix.

Within a month of founder Sir Frank Williams’ 70th birthday, this was the team’s first win since the 2004 Brazilian Grand Prix, 132 races ago.

Starting the weekend as a 300-1 outsider, Maldonado became the first Venezuelan to savour the winner’s champagne, finishing just 3.1 seconds ahead of home favourite Fernando Alonso in his Ferrari. And for only the second time in F1 – the other occasion in 1983 – there have been five different winners and fiver different constructors winning the first five grands prix.