Jul.1 (GMM) Robert Kubica says it is “too early” to say whether he will still be in Formula 1 in 2020.
The Pole’s return to F1 after an eight year recovery from permanent injuries was widely lauded, but he has notably struggled to keep up with his rookie teammate George Russell.
When asked if he will still be on the grid in 2020, 34-year-old Kubica said in Austria: “I think it’s too early to talk about it. There are still 12 races in this season.”
And he bristled when asked if he will hang onto his Williams seat even for the rest of the year.
“You tell me,” Kubica fired back at the journalist. “Why would I not finish the season?”
The journalist then said he was only asking a question, to which Kubica retorted: “And I’m answering. Stupid question, stupid answer.”
As is customary, Kubica qualified and finished dead last in Austria, and was the only driver to be lapped three times.
“It’s not like I’m not trying,” Kubica said.
“When I try everything, I slide and destroy the tyres. If there is nothing new in Silverstone, it will be the same.
“Driving a second slower than my teammate is not very much fun,” he told Eleven Sports.
Williams chief engineer Dave Robson said the 2020 Williams will be an evolution of this year’s car, which is by far the slowest on the grid.
“I don’t think there is anything fundamentally wrong with the car,” he insisted. “Our development rate is simply not enough.
“We took a different approach this year because we thought last year’s had reached the development limit. So we’ve taken a step back and it’s taken too long to get back to where we were,” added Robson.
“Our correlation with the data from the factory is good,” he said, “and we will have several corrections on the car at Silverstone and then a bigger package for the next races.”