It sure has been a disastrous 2018 Formula 1 season for Williams so far as they more or less finish last in the races with only points finish to show in Baku.
With Lance Stroll in only his second season and Sergey Sirotkin starting out his career, Williams needs a reliable hand in the form of Robert Kubica to develop its car amid a difficult time on track.
Stroll’s four points in Azerbaijan is the only high result it has so far. Despite that, the team has repeatedly said that it won’t write off 2018 just yet as Sirotkin revealed of the new bits coming in the future races to rectify the issues they have had.
Its reserve driver Robert Kubica – who has admitted to have not enjoyed driving the car – feels it is unfair to straightaway term the Grove-based team as the ‘weakest’ on the grid with no one wanting to drive for them in future.
“I think nobody was expecting Williams, which was midfield team, to struggle so much and I think nobody was expecting Sauber [who were] the weakest team last year, fighting for midfield position or going into Q3,” started Kubica.
“So you know things can change very quickly in Formula 1. I think it is unfair to put a sticker on Williams that it is the weakest team. It is true that it is the weakest team in this period, but if we say about next year, who knows?
“If you ask everybody in the paddock who wants to come to Formula 1, they will still sign for Williams. And it is not because they are desperate to drive, but its [because] everything can change.
“This team I think has potential and shown in the past that they can do a good job, that they can deliver a good car,” he added. Over the years, the team has fallen behind as the likes of Haas, Sauber and Toro Rosso have picked up its pace.
As Kubica singled out Sauber, the team has indeed sprung in a surprise to pull itself ahead in the midfield battle. While the Pole plays the reserve role, but the dream of racing still lives on for Kubica.
“My status and my position doesn’t change honestly since the end of last year. Of course, now there will be a lot of talks although I’m staying away from them. The top guys, they have to first find the seats so fortunately you have other topics to write than about me.
“My target will be to race next year but this hasn’t changed since the end of last year – so we will see. There was only one seat free [for 2018], which was Williams. Now there’s more seats, more teams that might change the drivers or not.
“So it’s not that because we are sitting here I am just targeting to be on the grid with Williams. My target is to be on the grid and we will see. Realistically speaking, there are not many teams I can end up with or talk with. There is no magic.”
Apart from the big teams which looks settled pretty much apart from the one odd change, there are plenty of seats on offer in the lower half of the field. Teams like Haas, Force India, Toro Rosso, Sauber and even Williams still have to decide on its line-up.