The Venezuelan tested different technical solutions on both Friday and Saturday, but could not find an opportunity to set a time with new tyres and failed to get into the top ten in qualifying.

Despite disappointing grid positions, the team still hoped that the second race, which featured mandatory pit-stops, would allow Maldonado to get some points, only for a technical problem to appear just as the Venezuelan was set to join the grid. Although the team managed to fix the problem, Maldonado had to start from the pit-lane and then suffered another problem after working his way up the order.