First of all the contract runs till the end of 2015. Indeed Maldonado was the agreed driver for 2011, but not for the remainder of the contract. He, Maldonado, is not the agreed driver for 2012 till 2015. Williams can say that they don’t want to use Maldonado any longer (too slow, not good enough etc) and the sponsor, PDVSA, has the right to propose other drivers to take that seat. It is up to Williams to determine whether these drivers are good enough. (article 5.3). PDVSA commits itself to suggest only candidates that are “competent drivers that have competed with success in in single seater racing the previous year”.
Sponsor has to propose these candidates prior to the 15th of Oktober and Williams has the sole right to accept or decline the proposed candidates.
When Williams does not hire Maldonado or a replacement approved by PDVSA the deal is off from the next year onwards.
So, Williams can ditch Maldonado but has to accept another PDVSA driver or lose the contract, or ditch Maldonado early on in the year and PDVSA has to pay the anual fee nevertheless.
On the sponsoring on the car it says that, as they have opted for option 3 (29.000.000 pound sterling), the following:
Logo on the rear wing (either side), inner sides of the rear wing endplates, lower end of the engine cover, nose of the car.
As long as there is not other driver with a Venezuelan passport faster than Maldonado we have to do it with him or Williams has to find other ways of funding.
Wish I could read more of this sort of contracts.
