Formula One drivers from Venezuela

There have been 3 Formula One drivers from Venezuela.

Former drivers

Cecotto driving for Toleman at the 1984 Dallas Grand Prix.

File:Maldonado Qualifying (8093203052).jpg

Maldonado driving for Williams at the 2012 Japanese Grand Prix.

File:Pastor Maldonado 2015 Malaysia FP2.jpg

Maldonado driving for Lotus at the 2015 Malaysian Grand Prix.

The first Venezuelan F1 racer was Ettore Chimeri. He raced in one Grand Prix, the 1960 Argentine Grand Prix in a Maserati 250F, retiring with electrical problems. It was supposed to be the first of many entries for Chimeri, who was killed in practice for the Gran Premio Libertad sports car race in Havana, Cuba two weeks later.

Accomplished motorcycle racer Johnny Cecotto made his debut in Formula One with Theodore Racing at the 1983 Brazilian Grand Prix. He scored his only points in the following race, however the luck didn't last as the team was forced to pull out of the sport before the penultimate race of the 1983 season due to a lack of funding. Cecotto landed a drive alongside debutant Ayrton Senna at Toleman for 1984, but was a classified finisher in only one of the ten races he participated in that season. His final appearance was the 1984 British Grand Prix.

Pastor Maldonado became the first Venezuelan driver to enter a Formula One Grand Prix in 27 years when he started for Williams at the 2011 Australian Grand Prix. He spent his first 3 seasons in Formula One with the team, and quickly became known for his overly aggressive style of racing. He raced for Lotus in 2014 and 2015, struggling with a mid-field car. Maldonado's career was heavily reliant on PDVSA backing, and when the Venezuelan economy went bust in early 2016, Renault (who had bought back Lotus in the off-season) opted out of keeping him on for the upcoming season and he was replaced by Kevin Magnussen. The highlight of his career was a surprise win at the 2012 Spanish Grand Prix, becoming the first (and so far only) Venezuelan to take victory in a Grand Prix.

Pastor Maldonado

Timeline

1950	1951	1952	1953	1954	1955	1956	1957	1958	1959	1960	1961	1962	1963	1964	1965	1966	1967	1968	1969
										Chimeri

1970	1971	1972	1973	1974	1975	1976	1977	1978	1979	1980	1981	1982	1983	1984	1985	1986	1987	1988	1989
													Cecotto

1990	1991	1992	1993	1994	1995	1996	1997	1998	1999	2000	2001	2002	2003	2004	2005	2006	2007	2008	2009

2010	2011	2012	2013	2014	2015	2016
	Maldonado