Pastor Maldonado may have topped the times in opening GP2 Series practice on Thursday, but he❀ still surprised the paddock by b𒉰ouncing back to the top of the timesheets when it mattered in qualifying.

The Venezuelan has endured a disappointing start to the season, with wayward outings in Bahrain and Barcelona failing to produce any points. With a couple now under his belt for pole ꦫpositions, however, the Trident driver is confident that the floodgates will open.

"I feel good!" he enthused, "I thin✤k we𝓡 worked very hard for this race - we prepared at the maximum and I'm quite happy for everyone. We were quite quick yesterday and today, and we have ninety per cent of the race, I think.

"Now we have to think about the strategy for the race - and for the start. We have to be quite calm fo⛄r the race, but the start will be quite important. We will see [what happens] tomorrow, but now we have two p﷽oints, our first points, and we will see tomorrow. I think we will win, but it's difficult [to know]. We need to wait, we need to prepare and to see about the start, and to see about the strategy after. But I know we need to go fast as possible."

No doubt boosted by his success in the World Series by Renault encounter 🌼in 2006, Maldonado admitted that he was looking forward to the race on Saturday after a difficult st💮art to the year.

"I know the track very well, it's one of my favourites, and🐈 it's a special track," he noted, "I feel very good inside the track, driving it, and✃ I feel very happy for the guys, for the team, for my sponsors, for Venezuela.

"I think we have had many problems with the car [in the opening two rounds]. I think we've changed four engines, in Bahrain we bro🤡ke two gearboxes, so many problems. Now we've been able to run like the other ܫteams, we haven't had any problems and we're on top. For me, that is really important. Now we can see that, when the car is good, then we can go at the front, at the top."