Pastor Maldonado reckons he has mastered 2012 Pirelli tyres

Pastor Maldonado believes that he has a better understanding of Pirelli's 2012 Formula 1 tyres than he did with last year's rubber

This season's tyres have been the subject of much discussion, as teams battle to get them to work. That has resulted in fluctuating form throughout the field.

But Maldonado, who won the Spanish Grand Prix for Williams and was fighting for a podium finish in Valencia before colliding with Lewis Hamilton, is happy that he knows what to do to get the 2012-spec compounds working.

"I think I understand the tyres very well," said Maldonado. "Much better than last year. Even if they changed for this year, I have a great feeling.

"I know exactly what to do to look after the tyres, how to manage the race to get a longer life from them. I am always trying to improve, but I think the combination between me, the car, and the tyres is good at the moment."

Maldonado explained that he has worked hard to get an understanding of the Pirellis because of how close the competition is in F1 this year.

"These tyres are working with a small window of temperature," he added. "As soon as you are slightly out of that range, you are nowhere.

"It is very difficult to put a lap together, and the gaps are so small. As soon as you lose two tenths, it is difficult even to get into the top 10.

"We have been working so hard to try to understand the tyres, to help them, and to get the car working in different conditions and different set-ups."