Williams deputy team principal Claire Williams has firmly rejected claims Robert Kubica’s place at the team is under threat.
Kubica, who returned to Formula 1 this season eight years on from suffering serious injuries in a rally crash, has thus far struggled to match his rookie team mate George Russell. However Williams itself is suffering a poor season, its FW42 lagging well off the pace of the rest of the field.Williams dismissed speculation over Kubica’s future during yesterday’s FIA press conference at Silverstone.
“Robert is racing with us this year and will continue to do so,” she said. “I don’t know where this speculation has come from but in the past couple of weeks there seems to be a lot of speculation around about Williams.”
Williams said Kubica’s experience and technical feedback were especially valuable to the team given the difficulties it is experiencing with its car.
“One of the reasons that I wanted to bring Robert into the team was last year he did a great job for us as a reserve driver, and throughout last year we really saw his strength and his technical ability and his feedback. If you spend any time talking to Robert you know and understand how intelligent he is, how much knowledge he has around the car and its performance and how to get the most out of it.
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“Obviously coming into this year, we knew where we were ahead of time and we knew therefore that we would need somebody, a driver, with that level of engineering intelligence that could really help translate what was going on in the car back to the engineers and back into the factory and that was a key reason why we brought him on board. And he has continued that process with the engineers. He has been invaluable in helping to drive the performance that you are seeing we’re bringing to the car over the course of this season.”
Kubica’s recovery from his injuries bears comparison with Frank Williams’ return to lead his team after he suffered paralysis in a road car crash in 1986, said Williams.
“Robert, as a person, he’s incredibly hard working and he’s very focused on what he’s here to do. We all know where he has come from and the accident that he has had and for anyone to come back into our sport having experienced such an accident is quite remarkable. It shows his resilience.
“The only other person I’ve seen that in myself, in my lifetime, is Frank. To come back from such serious injuries, to have that level of determination is really quite extraordinary and I think that probably sums Robert up in a nutshell.”
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Glamo
13th July 2019, 12:50
Good!
Tristan (@skipgamer)
13th July 2019, 13:03
Who’s suggesting it would be? What a great answer, I hope they stay as firm in their commitment as they have just said.
Williams has a lot of problems and I don’t think Kubica even deserves a mention on that list. It’s for the fans and for F1 for him to be in the paddock and on the track.
Ambrogio Isgro
13th July 2019, 13:57
Anyway, who wants to spend millions just to stay back at the field and against a teammate like Russell, that seems to be a really fast guy? It can easily end in a waste of money and could also end a f1 career. Look what’s happen to Vandoorne.
Whoever is interested to be in a Williams in place of Kubica (Wehrlein, Vandoorne or some gp2 driver), will wait the next year
Miffy
13th July 2019, 16:57
Never thought it was but I do now.
He’s not exactly making a storming success of his return to F1 though is he. If we put down our rose tinted glasses and ignore the fact that his car is a disaster, he is still not performing well enough to beat his rookie team mate.
When you have a car that is so bad that it can barely qualify, get some young drivers in it to give them some experience. RK is past it.
posaunist
13th July 2019, 17:16
Claire William’s mentions something that is often overlooked in these comments — the contribution a driver makes to the car. Comments to the effect that “any driver” could win in “car x” miss the point that “car x” would not be as fast if “any driver” was the one giving engineering input on it. The top constructors are where they are in part because of the input from their drivers.
Klon (@)
13th July 2019, 17:39
Well, until someone with a superlicense and more money comes along, there’s little to be gained from Kubica being replaced.
svianna (@svianna)
13th July 2019, 18:51
Looking forward to vote for Kubica again as the Driver of the Weekend for the Silvastone race. It is not easy to stay out of the way from the passing faster cars (pretty much all of them) with such tiny rear view mirrors.
Fer no.65 (@fer-no65)
13th July 2019, 20:24
Well, even if they wanted to drop Robert, who would like to step in that car, with an opponent like Russell within the team?
Ericglo
13th July 2019, 20:46
I don’t think it is good to change drivers during the season. That being said, the only reason I can think of that Losica is still there is Williams would lose the sponsorship money he brings. Without that, they could hardly do any worse with another driver.
As for who they could replace him with mid season, there are plenty of drivers with a super license. Ocon would probably top the list, since Merc is desperate to get him back into F1.
OOliver
13th July 2019, 22:39
Lets face it, Williams don’t need a driver better than Kubica this season.
Their cars are always going to be last or second from last, so why not get someone who pays and still comes last.
Win win.
Ericglo
13th July 2019, 23:57
Because the team isn’t motivated when the driver isn’t getting the most out of the car.
The Williams may be at the back of the grid, but Losica isn’t close to his team mate.
Andrew
14th July 2019, 0:12
Then make an improvements on his car, make it equal to Georges car and see what is going to happen, Robert is experienced and matured and then he may show his point.
Andrew
Ericglo
14th July 2019, 12:00
Why would Williams make two different cars? How do you know the cars are not equal? Didn’t Russell get in Losica’s car earlier this year and go faster?
Maybe Losica should have proven himself in another series first before being given a chance in F1 again.
F1Minion
16th July 2019, 9:54
Ericglo, thanks for proving, that ignorance knows no bounds.
Do some research before you post ridiculous comment.
He won a WRC title before being “given”-(he paid for it) a chance in F1.
It’s no secret, just a simple search on something called “Google”, and it could enlighten you in seconds,
saving you an embarrassment, that is, if you care at all. Trolls don’t.
Michal Benyskiewicz
15th July 2019, 20:18
Omg… You talking about F1 is like Beavis and Butthead discussing about rocket science… Its Williams development year- car is a joke, it is slower then last year!!! – yes Kubicas car I slower then Russells(check top speed-Cmon!!!). He is obviously a much better driver then Russell at this point! Plus- Kubica is a paid driver- they can’t even afford to let him go.