The question was phrased like this: “You are backed by the Venezuelan oil company PDVSA and also by the government of Venezuela. How did that come about?” This question was posed by a journalist from the official Formula 1 website to aspiring F1 driver Pastor Maldonado from Venezuela, who has been testing recently for Hispania Racing Team and Williams in Abu Dhabi.
Maldonado, who won the GP2 title this year, has been considered a potential replacement for Nico Hulkenberg on the Frank Williams F1 team. Additionally, other reports have indicated that Maldonado’s entry into F1 is estimated to be worth up to $15 million for the Williams team.
Now, don’t get me wrong on this. As someone from the oil industry, I would love to see a fellow Venezuelan competing in the top tier of motorsport, bringing back the good memories of the 80s when Venezuelan drivers were common in the highest categories. Personally, I have nothing against Pastor Maldonado.
What I find objectionable is that the oil company of Hugo Chávez, PDVSA, is spending $15 million of Venezuelan taxpayers’ money on this venture. Chávez has told us repeatedly that capitalism must be destroyed, that Venezuelan oligarchs are the scum of the earth, that PDVSA is now entirely focused on social goals and alleviating the suffering of the marginalized, etc., etc., and YET, it is funding an entry into the most exclusive, expensive, bourgeois, elitist, and capitalist sport in the world, namely Formula 1. If there is an antithesis to whatever Hugo Chávez’s socialist revolution represents, it’s Formula 1. Can someone explain this to me?
As for the $15 million that Maldonado will contribute to the Williams team, Mr. Williams should think carefully about the implications for his hard-earned reputation if he accepts money from Chávez.