F1 News, Reports and Race Results

Kubica: Williams still short on time, needs to push FW42

With just two days remaining in pre-season testing, Robert Kubica says Williams is still in data gathering mode and has yet to push its FW42 "from a driver point of view".

A costly delay in the build-up of its 2019 contender led to a late start to Williams' preparations.

A state of affairs which hasn't yet allowed Kubica and team mate George Russell to properly experiment with the FW42 and gauge its true potential.

Kubica fears that time is running out for Williams to fully understand its new car before the season gets underway in Melbourne in two weeks.

Williams adamant FW42 delay not linked to suppliers or budget

"Today was a productive day from one side but from another side maybe not because time is running out," explained the Pole.

"From a driver point of view, we haven’t done any work on the car so there is a lot of things to discover and unfortunately not a lot of time left before our first race.

"So there are some mixed feelings because, on one hand, it’s positive that we did a lot of laps today, but from the other side there isn’t a lot of time left.

"We are not in the position we would like to be, especially from my point of view, but we are gathering lots of data and checking lots of different stuff.

"I hope in the next few days we will have more time to start playing with the car and seeing how the car reacts to different things."

Kubica doubts Williams will be in a position to secure a good result in Melbourne, but the 34-year-old says that everyone performing to the best of their ability in Australia would already be a success.

"The biggest success would be ending the weekend knowing that you have done a good job," he added.

"We might not be in the position to fight for results which people might expect.

"If I’m happy on Sunday evening with everything I did through the weekend I will be happy.

"I’m quite honest and demanding of myself so if I can achieve satisfaction from the job I did, I will be happy."

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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.