A string of mid-season wins put Pastor Maldonado course for the GP2 title and a Formula 1 future. Mark Glendenning recounts how the Venezuelan overcame his fellow rising stars

Round 1: Catalunya

ART's rookies make a robust start to the season, with Sam Bird topping first practice and Jules Bianchi claiming pole. But the race was less kind to them, with Bianchi being eliminated in a crash with Racing Engineering's Christian Vietoris and Bird dropping to the back of the field after having to pit for a new nose. That prompted a stunning fightback, with Bird picking off a succession of cars but falling just short of the points in ninth.

Up at the front, Sergio Perez led only to suffer a delay during his pitstop, allowing Arden rookie Charles Pic to take the win ahead of DPR's Giacomo Ricci and Racing Engineering's Dani Clos.

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