Robert Kubica has stressed that he will be judged on his feedback and performance with Williams this year, as opposed to pure pace, as he continues to chase a full-time racing return.
Kubica has been appointed to the role of Williams’ development driver, providing support to youngsters Lance Stroll and Sergey Sirotkin, and got behind the wheel of Williams’ FW41 on Tuesday afternoon during testing at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya.
Kubica finished over three tenths clear of Sirotkin, who ran in the morning session, but the Pole played down the pace difference, outlining that his job is not about chasing pure lap time.
“The times are really irrelevant I would say, especially in my position, I’m here to help and try things,” said Kubica.
“I’m not paid to be racing for now: my job is different. I’m judged by what job I’m doing, there is no point to risk setting [the car] up [to find] three, four tenths quicker lap time, which I think would be easily done.
“You would maybe risk going into the gravel, breaking something on the car, which would then put us in a difficult situation for the next days.
“It’s a compromise between thinking for yourself and thinking for the team, as because I’m not racing I have to think for the team and the race drivers.
“I think, and hope, the team sees it that I’m approaching things outside of the car like I would be racing, so I have maximum commitment.
“I’m throwing the ideas and trying to help as if I’m going to [race in] Australia, but I’m not going [to race].”
Kubica will participate in three Friday practice sessions this year, the first of which is scheduled for May’s Spanish Grand Prix, in order to allow him to track the FW41’s development.
Kubica stressed further that lap time “doesn’t really matter” and that swiftly getting into a rhythm, considering his lack of track time, is more important.
“With developments [we can see] how we can influence the balance and what is moving,” he said.
“In the same time I will have more testing during the season, but with the limitations that we have forget about looking at lap times as I won’t be driving for three months then I'll be jumping into the car.
“It will be like the first time in the car because the car is moving forward.
“Even if you hear comments [from drivers] you still have to feel them yourself to be able to judge.
“It is a difficult situation because honestly you have much more to lose than to win but my job is a bit different.
“I know everyone is looking at lap times and there were a lot of comments, that I was lacking one-and-a-half seconds in Abu Dhabi, which is strange. It doesn’t really matter.
“What is positive is that I jumped into the new car and in 20 laps I was actually able to drive it in a good way without any big preparations.”
