Kubica rues one of ‘worst days’ at Williams

Jamie Woodhouse
George Russell will miss Robert Kubica when he leaves Williams after 2019.

George Russell will miss Robert Kubica when he leaves Williams after 2019.

Robert Kubica called Friday practice at theRussian Grand Prix“one of the worst days behind the wheel” at Williams.

Trailing behind team-mate George Russell has been nothing new for Kubica this season, but he endedFP2 at the Russian GPover a second slower than his team-mate.

The Polish driver would have hoped to be able toleave Formula 1 at the end of 2019on any kind of high, but that seems unlikely, and he admits that Friday’s practice sessions were “one of the worst days behind the wheel” of the FW42.

“Probably one of the worst days behind the wheel, regarding the balance and overall grip actually,” he told reporters at the Sochi Autodrom.

“I don’t have grip. In this kind of track there is little what you can do, you have to carry a lot of speed, the corners are short, you need good stability on entry and confidence on the car but it was very strange, very slippery.

“We are sliding, because we create let’s say the wrong tyre temperature.

“But generally the grip when there is an issue with the tyre temp there is a point where you have good grip, maybe not one lap, but after that, but we didn’t have a position where we had reasonable grip in the car today, so we’ll check the data and go tomorrow.”

Russell complained about the orange kerbs around the circuit and was one of many who were told to avoid them, and the Brit feels that the set-up of his car didn’t help matters.

“Sochi is generally quite smooth, we run quite a stiff set-up, so the times you do have to use the kerbs it’s incredibly aggressive for us,” he said.

“It’s just finding that right compromise as the softer you go the more aero you lose. It’s a compromise but it wasn’t too great out there to drive, but I don’t think it was for anyone.”

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Robert Kubica