Williams state the deal is not sealed. Some media organizations claim he is signed for 2018 / 2019. NOVEMBER 21, 2017 Doornbos happy to see Kubica back in F1? Robert Kubica's return to F1 next year is now set in stone. That is the claim of the broadcaster RTL GP, echoing other sources including France's Canal Plus that claim the Pole has now inked a Williams contract for 2018. RTL GP says the 32-year-old's contract is for 2018 and 2019. Former F1 driver Robert Doornbos, who is a pundit for F1 broadcaster Ziggo Sport Totaal, told the Dutch newspaper Algemeen Dagblad: "I am happy to see Kubica back in F1."
If true it's great....Ties in well with the fact that Stroll needs a slow teammate to look good, and I've no doubt that Kubica will have lost some speed. I'm sure if Stroll is close to him or beats him regularly Williams/Strolls will say Kubica has lost none of his speed whatsoever and it's Stroll that's suddenly gained speed . Hey if Kubica gets paid well for it it'll be great for him, a few more years in F1 that he was robbed of. And imagine if, bizarrely, he's not lost speed...that'll be something!
I think that if Robert eralized he had lost a significant part of his ability he would not come back..therefore, i suspect he will be very competitiove and that he will completly and uterly trash lancelot.
I've always been a big fan of Robert but can't imagine that he has the dexterity and range of motion to race these current F1 cars. Perhaps they are not as difficult to drive as I imagine, but it seems like the drivers are constantly changing settings several times a lap. I hope that I am wrong and that he succeeds.
In a few hours Robert Kubica will be climbing into the Williams for the first half day of testing. Technically this is for Perelli...but it is also for his future. I wish him success in the testing, and in racing in 2018.
DECEMBER 1, 2017 Sirotkin admits wanting Williams race seat Sergey Sirotkin has admitted he is hoping Williams picks him instead of Robert Kubica to drive for the British team in 2018. Although Kubica is the hot candidate, and other drivers are still in the running, Russian Sirotkin actually got a test in the 2017 car this week in Abu Dhabi. "I want to thank Williams for giving me the opportunity even if I don't know what the future will bring," the 22-year-old told France's Auto Hebdo. Sirotkin, strongly backed by the Russian programme SMP Racing, was Renault's reserve driver in 2017. Some believe Williams just wanted to collect a one-off sponsorship payment from SMP, while others think he is a contender to be the team's reserve driver. But Sirotkin makes clear he wants the race seat. "What is certain is that I am not here at the test to enjoy the sun," he insisted. "I cannot hope for a Renault seat in the immediate future, but it's a privilege to be able to work with different teams at the highest level." Sirotkin said that, despite Kubica being a rival for a 2018 seat, he found the Pole to be friendly. "I met Robert for the first time and he's very open and nice," he said. "He happily talked to me and we could compare our times even if that doesn't mean much. The main thing for him was to have been able to drive at a good level. I think what he has done is really exceptional," Sirotkin admitted. But he said he wants the race seat for himself. "It's really hard not to have a seat and just be the reserve," said Sirotkin. "I know I'm learning a lot but I need adrenaline."
With the Mercedes money they made buy relinquishing Bottas, plus Stroll's cash, they'll probably pass on the Russian's sponsorship $$. They'd be crazy to pick him over Kubica.....
BBC analysis of this situation for Wiliams and Kubica - http://www.bbc.com/sport/formula1/42199674 Robert Kubica: Did he do enough to earn F1 return? Image Unavailable, Please Login By Andrew Benson Chief F1 writer
What kind of idiots would Williams look like if they sign someone else rather than Kubica and that someone else ends up doing a poor job?
The same kind of idiots as if they signed Kubica and he ended up doing a poor job. Whilst it would be a great story for Kubica to be back racing it is only a great story if he can do the job and that means, at the very least, being quicker than Massa otherwise they might as well have kept Massa on for another year. Jonathan
Exactly my own point of view, Jonathan. At this stage in their history, Williams cannot afford to have a leader that would be no faster than Stroll. The team already seems to be on a gliding slope towards oblivion, so they could not afford to make a mistake and not having the best driver available. What is at stake here is simply the future of the Williams team. Rgds
The more i think about it, the safer choice would be Di Resta,yes he is not in the top tier of drivers based on past performances,but the team knows him very well,he is their reserve driver after all. Although he does not bring any personal sponsor money as far as i know,he would not be demanding a big salary if he gets the chance of a come back.
DECEMBER 4, 2017 Vettel unsure over Kubica return Sebastian Vettel has admitted he is not sure what to think about Robert Kubica's F1 comeback. It is believed the Pole is now on the cusp of securing his return to the sport with Williams, seven years after almost severing his arm in a rallying crash. "I think it's very tragic what happened back then," German Vettel told Sonntagsblick newspaper. "He was regarded as a future champion. But I do not understand why he is pushing for a comeback now," he added. "Why did he not do this before?" the Ferrari driver added. "For him it would be a nice story, but on the other hand it would be unfortunate for younger drivers who would also like that cockpit," Vettel said. Nico Hulkenberg agrees that Kubica's return would be a "huge story" for F1. "In testing you can see that the pace is there," he told Sport1. "But you cannot simulate the racing action of the first lap in Monaco or Singapore," Hulkenberg said. "I hope he is able to race at the highest level, but we will only see that when he's in the car next year. I estimate the chances of his comeback at 50-50," the Renault driver added.
I'm a fan of Hulkenberg's but it's going to look embarassing for him when Robert comes back driving as fast as the Hulk... On Vettel's "younger driver" comment: he should tell that to his bosses considering his own teammate came back to middling results...
How can anyone outside of Team Williams(or Renault) assess or project Kubica's performance? BTW the Hulk's team bosses at Renault evaluated Kubica but jumped to get Sainz when the opportunity presented itself. I think Hulkenberg's comments are spot-on.
Considering Kubica's time was close to Massa's qualifying time...and considering the differences in the amount of time each had in the car...and considering that no changes were made on the car from their race set up so that Kubica was driving Massa's set up...considering the amount of motivation Kubica has vs the others... considering that if any of the others were that good they would have already be grabbed by someone else...considering that Renault already had a quick and seasoned driver in Hulk so that Kubica brought nothing new to their table...considering the best combination of proven talent with burning desire to succeed and the maturity and knowledge to be a team leader for Williams is Kubica. Over both days of testing...putting aside whatever priorities and specifics the tire testing dictated...Kubica's times put him seventh quickest of all drivers who tested. How often has Williams been in that position? With some real seat time and in a car set up for his personal style, it seems obvious Kubica could be much quicker. Add to that, "the story" is one that will give Williams (and their sponsors) more media attention than they've had in ten years...regardless of their standing after five or six races. In terms of William's competitive and business needs, Kubica is the best match for the team.
I'm not certain that Robert is the best choice for the open seat, but I agree with you that "the story" is generating more media attention than Williams has had in years. Robert was a top tier driver before his accident. He is now old by F1 standards, has a physical impairment and hasn't driven a F1 in competition for six years. These are all negatives. I dearly hope that he succeeds but I feel that to a degree Williams is milking the story for publicity.
It might bring sponsor's attention etc. Unless the car is going to see some improvement, vs Stroll he will be faster and possibly more consistent yielding points potentially. The others do not have the 'edge' Kubica had. Sirotkin is young. A one year deal with Robert and Sirotkin as reserve is probably a rational course.
https://www.motorsportmagazine.com/opinion/f1/kubica-test-raises-more-questions-answers?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=MarkHughes&utm_content=Kubicatestad Mark Hughes on Kubica
Let's be "realistic" about this. Ain't NO WAY Williams is going to be in the hunt for either the WDC or the Constructors. They can sign BOTH (assuming there's a little $$ from all the wheelings and dealings) and if Kubica can't get it done in a few (or 5, or whatever) races, bump him and stuff the other guy in the car. If he DOES get good results, Williams will climb up the Constructor's standings and get more money at the end of the season. They get publicity and "story" points for the big try with Robert either way. I'm hoping they DO bring him back - in the years he raced, Robert and Alonso were the two who drew my interest and excitement the most.
All interesting points and all give weight to Paddy Lowe's remarks that the time sheets do not give all the useful data in terms of everything that will go into the decision. I also look back at Kubica's tire test in the 2017 Renault, and again he was seventh fastest. This article does give more information on the tire Kubica did most of his runs on...and on Kubica's recommended settings changes (most of which were not done by Williams). What comes through for me is Kubica's ability to give specific technical input to the team in how to make the car go faster. Also...the traffic and tire overheating issues Kubica ran into during his "fast" laps. As already pointed out, the possible teaming of the young Russian as the reserve driver, with Kubica getting first shot at Massa's seat seams like a logical way to go that also gives Williams some second choice options.
