Kubica says he'll only be as good as Williams' 2019 car

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F1 returnee Robert Kubica believes his sensational comeback to Grand Prix racing in 2019 will only be as good as the car Williams will produce.

After a year working as a development driver for the British outfit, a task that validated his physical ability to manhandle an F1 car despite the limitations of his right arm injured in his horrific 2011 rally crash, Kubica earned himself a race seat with Williams.

The 34-year-old has no doubts that he is up to the challenge that awaits him this season, but his overall performance will be highly dependent on the car fielded by a team that has struggled in the past two years in F1.

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"It's a difficult task and a very ambitious goal, but I think I'm well known for not taking on things that are light and easy," he told Przeglad Sportowy newspaper.

"Whether it works or how close I am, much will depend on how I feel in the car and what the new car is like. How will it behave? This can greatly simplify or complicate the matter," Kubica said.

From the start to the finish of the 2018 season, Williams' drivers lingered at the tail end of the field, with Lance Stroll and Sergey Sirotkin endlessly struggling with the aero inefficiencies and weaknesses of the FW41.

During testing, Kubica experienced firsthand the car's troubles, saying that dealing with its flaws was like "dancing with a partner who cannot dance".

"If a car does not perform as the driver expects, it is not even so much about the speed and the lap times, but the feeling that it gives that can hinder the driver," he added.

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Phillip van Osten

Motor racing was a backdrop from the outset in Phillip van Osten's life. Born in Southern California, Phillip grew up with the sights and sounds of fast cars thanks to his father, Dick van Osten, an editor and writer for Auto Speed and Sport and Motor Trend. Phillip's passion for racing grew even more when his family moved to Europe and he became acquainted with the extraordinary world of Grand Prix racing. He was an early contributor to the monthly French F1i Magazine, often providing a historic or business perspective on Formula 1's affairs. In 2012, he co-authored along with fellow journalist Pierre Van Vliet the English-language adaptation of a limited edition book devoted to the great Belgian driver Jacky Ickx. He also authored "The American Legacy in Formula 1", a book which recounts the trials and tribulations of American drivers in Grand Prix racing. Phillip is also a commentator for Belgian broadcaster Be.TV for the US Indycar series.