Robert Kubica says that his role as Williams' development driver in 2018 has been much more enjoyable than he was expecting. The Pole joined the Grove outfit at the start of the year after Sergey Sirotkin got the nod for a full-time race seat.
It was Kubica's first F1 role since a life-threatening 2011 rally crash forced him out of the season with Renault before it got underway. The 33-year-old has enjoyed his new duties this year, admitting that he originally he thought it would be difficult to watch the racing from the sidelines.
"It has been a good surprise for me," he said. "I thought it would be more difficult to watch the others racing but, because this opportunity gives me a chance to live my passion, not as a race driver but with an active role in the team, it is rewarding. I don’t see it as a negative that I’m not racing and the others are."
However, Wiliams is suffering from a torrid season, as it works to get on top of its car's issues. Currently, it sits last in the constructor's standings, with Sirotkin conceding that even Sauber in ninth place is out of reach for the remainder of the season.
And Kubica thinks his impression at the team would be greater if the car was stronger: "In our situation, we are working on trying to solve things, so it’s a bit different to what my role was planned to be," he said. "In the situation where the car ran smoothly, I would have a big impact.
"On the other hand, I am also working on the simulator and trying to improve this area of the team. And I’m taking part in the technical meetings and stuff like this. It’s quite an open-minded position and that’s what I think is satisfactory for myself and for the team."
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