So the bad news is that it appears that Pastor Maldonado’s Formula One career is over. The good news is that there is a new Maldonado among us.
Remember when Pastor’s shock victory at the 2012 Spanish Grand Prix for Williams caused such a glitch in the Matrix that it set the team’s garage on fire?
Well Pastor was pretty heroic that day, not just because he managed to win the race from Fernando Alonso but that he also carried his young cousin to safety on his back.
Now that very cousin, Manuel, is starting his single-seater career in Italian F4 with the Cram Motorsport team having spent the last few seasons karting in the British and international championships.
So don’t worry Maldonado fans. There’s still hope.