Kubica to return to racing .....

[dren]

There's a test set-up for Kubica at Williams.

You mean adjusting the 2014 Lance's testing car for him or current one?

Yes, that. Sounds promising.

[FW17]

Wish Kubica can raise €10-20 million just to make it easier.

Wonder if Rosberg can help in this regard

[Manoah2u]

Not neccesary, Stroll brings money enough. Palmer won't get a Williams seat because he's complete cr*p. He might get a reserve driver / test driver role, i can see that happening. I mean we had his exact predecessor just as lame and useless in the form of Di Resta. Hell i'm sure Palmer will pop up as a pundit in 3 seasons for Sky or BBC [or whatever that channel is called now].

So it's down to either keeping Massa, but Massa really is washed up and making inexcusable moves and he's there to be a genuine points scorer and 'mentor' to Stroll. I don't see that role anymore so why bother. Hell, i think Kubica can be someone you can learn a whole lot from. He's been through a very interesting period which wil have him mentally very strong, i am sure he's mentally much stronger than Massa, after Felipe's accident, he was never the same, not even close. Kubica however still keeps improving. And then there's the hunger Kubica posesses, and the amount Williams can learn from a 'handicapped' driver that is able to perform and use technology and other tricks to your advantage.

Kubica has always been very able and technical with his cars and setups too, so there's a wealth of information and experience there.

Rosberg is the ideal manager / promotor to get him there, Rosberg gets to stay in F1 and be his Monaco Playboy self, whilst Kubica can be himself, the gritty no-nonsense racer.

I rather see Kubica at Renault, but well, I guess Williams isn't too bad either. Matter of fact, there are several benefits.

Renault is eyeing winning races or having a WDC/WCC car soon, possibly next year [ whether that's realistic is another story though ]. Even though i hold Kubica very high in regards, fact is, there is a big question mark around him, so Sainz for example is a safer bet than Robert.
Now the interesting part is that Sainz got signed and therefor his Renault chances are gone, BUT Sainz is loaned out to Renault. Let's assume Sainz drivers for Renault 2018,
but RedBull doesnt give Verstappen or Ricciardo the car they want, and Ricciardo or Verstappen heads to Mercedes or Ferrari for 2019.

Horner has made it clear they'll pull him out as soon as they need him for such a scenario, so that means a seat opens up @ Renault for 2019, and Sainz takes the RedBull seat.

Now Kubica has driven for a year @ Williams, loaned out by Renault to Williams, he gets to drive for 'the competition' and gets experience again under his belt and we get a good look on his capabilities. 2018 development year, 2019 back at Renault in a raceseat with a more realistically win capable car.

sounds good to me, actually.

[FW17]

Frank is not that dumb

If there is potential it will be a multi year deal and Renault will have to pay a tonne of money to get Kubica back for 2019

[LookBackTime]

Why Robert Kubica's worth the wait
by Mark Hughes

http://www.skysports.com/f1/news/12433/ ... h-the-wait

[Vasconia]

Why Robert Kubica's worth the wait
by Mark Hughes

http://www.skysports.com/f1/news/12433/ ... h-the-wait

An interesting article and a good way to keep in mind how good Kubika was. I do hope Williams signs him.

[LookBackTime]

Why Robert Kubica's worth the wait
by Mark Hughes

http://www.skysports.com/f1/news/12433/ ... h-the-wait

An interesting article and a good way to keep in mind how good Kubika was. I do hope Williams signs him.

Well, if Williams is looking around they can not see to many good options. May be Jenson Button, but ....
Robert Kubica looks like the best option available.
Some risks are involved in choosing him but also the rewards could be higher.
Right now Felipe Massa means no risks, but no rewards also

[Vasconia]

Why Robert Kubica's worth the wait
by Mark Hughes

http://www.skysports.com/f1/news/12433/ ... h-the-wait

An interesting article and a good way to keep in mind how good Kubika was. I do hope Williams signs him.

Well, if Williams is looking around they can not see to many good options. May be Jenson Button, but ....
Robert Kubica looks like the best option available.
Some risks are involved in choosing him but also the rewards could be higher.
Right now Felipe Massa means no risks, but no rewards also

Absolutely, if he doesnt deliver(it can´t be worse than Stroll´s first half of the season) they can replace him in 2019. But it could a glorious comeback, and Williams will be hailed for giving him a chance. Plus more money and publicity of course.

But Williams is known for weird strategic moves during the races, I hope its not the same choosing drivers.... oh wait, they have Massa and Stroll.

Jokes aside, Stroll is performing much better now.

[marmer]

An interesting article and a good way to keep in mind how good Kubika was. I do hope Williams signs him.

Well, if Williams is looking around they can not see to many good options. May be Jenson Button, but ....
Robert Kubica looks like the best option available.
Some risks are involved in choosing him but also the rewards could be higher.
Right now Felipe Massa means no risks, but no rewards also

Absolutely, if he doesnt deliver(it can´t be worse than Stroll´s first half of the season) they can replace him in 2019. But it could a glorious comeback, and Williams will be hailed for giving him a chance. Plus more money and publicity of course.

But Williams is known for weird strategic moves during the races, I hope its not the same choosing drivers.... oh wait, they have Massa and Stroll.

Jokes aside, Stroll is performing much better now.

this weekend Stroll was better than Massa everywhere really which is a good sign. Massa started the year with a new lease of life but recently seems to have slumped back to how he was last year

[Vasconia]

this weekend Stroll was better than Massa everywhere really which is a good sign. Massa started the year with a new lease of life but recently seems to have slumped back to how he was last year

Yes, and after Baku Stroll is performing better. So a Stroll-Kubika pair could be interesting for Williams, lets hope this time they maka a brave move and give him a chance.

[LookBackTime]

user @silny found the below opinion that I find it interesting!

"I know that the decision to hire Sainz is the result of a series of complicated economic issues. And that's us. The problem lies in lack of communication: many think that renunciation to Kubica is dictated by its physical condition. That is not the case. Robert's tests signaled the opposite. The Polish knows and can drive as before, mentally it is a beast ... Renault can do what it wants, but it should have explained that its choice is not connected to Kubica's physical efficiency. The places are few, it takes courage to hire Robert and serves a condition accepted by a teammate because, in my opinion, once you join a team, the Polish becomes the master. Moreover, it has a very clear analytical intelligence. I hope something comes out of Williams. There are a lot of elements that do not appear on the scene and determine the engagement of a pilot. They are from management to sympathy and political and sports influences. The only available seat seems to be the Williams seat, as Massa loses and that there are conditions for Robert to go there"

"I think it was a move that goes in that direction, with the intent of having a tutor, a manager, an authoritative person, with a four-year experience in Williams. Rosberg and Kubica have been friends for so many years, since they were children, they always felt. I hope this helps Robert, because he is really a person I'm attached to and I love him. He is a deserving person and one of the most extraordinary talents on the track in the last 20 years. A champion, it would be convenient to Formula 1, beyond my liking"

-Giorgio Terruzzi

[ZakB]

Kubica second per lap too slow on long runs.

http://www.autobild.de/artikel/formel-1 ... 40601.html

[netoperek]

It's curious how suddenly after 2 months some unspecified "Renault circles" claim exact opposite to what Renault operatives and engineers have been saying right after the test.
Could it be that now. after they have opted for Sainz Jr. - Engine swap deal which left them in uncomfortable position regarding Kubica's return project, Renault wanted to have an easy excuse/escape plan from it? It started with some enigmatic "we need more tests as we couldn't check all important factors" phrases, then there were "consistency and fitness problems" rumors (which were BS, as long run lap times proved, clocked after RK had over 100 laps completed already) just before announcing Sainz deal, now this. It's fishy at best.
Such revelations at this time are very convinient and better looking than admitting to the public that at the end of the day, pure business is the most important factor. Don't get me wrong - I understand what and why they did and can't blame them for Sainz deal, even if I rooted for RK return. I just think they could do it with a little more style.

[Greg_OR]

...I just think they could do it with a little more style.

I would not blame Renault for the current speculations (surely they could arrange things better) but its a German newspaper and Totto Wolf recently wanted to place Pascal Wehrlain at Williams (even knowing Pascal don't fit the Martini driver-age-over-25 rule). Totto proposed that 3rd driver (aged > 25) could play Martini role or they could do something else in case of the few countries (about 5) with this alcohol advertising restrictions.
The situation is weird (specially for Polish fans) as Wolf having Polish roots (he can even speak polish a little) has been always considered as Kubica's friend and first one to help him to comeback.
This reminds me what Robert once said when he was asked about friendship in F1 paddock - he answered: "If you want to have a friend in F1, then go and buy yourself a dog."
I hope the rumoured test at Williams will take place and Robert will once again deliver a proof, and that Lawrence Stroll will opt for Kubica to partner his son.

[LookBackTime]

KUBICA UNSURE ABOUT POSSIBILITY OF FORMULA 1 RETURN

http://www.thecheckeredflag.co.uk/2017/ ... -1-return/

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