4700 replies to this topic

[MaxisOne]

You are right. Lets talk about something better, like who is handsome, not who is ugly.

 

I guess Renault will have the prettiest line-up? Or could it be McLaren? hahahahaha

 

If you want to do that be my guest. I come here to see where we are with who is going to get the vacant Williams seat.

[Rupert]

As a Kubica fan, I was also hoping and expecting jaw dropping lap times, but, when you think more deeply about it, would that make sense for Williams?

 

This is what I mean, putting him on a qualifying mode would be a liability for the team. If he did headline times, their hand would be forced/pushed on the decision making and nobody likes that. That is, if Kubica had done like low 38s or 37.9, it would be a huge SCANDAL if Williams did not sign him. The whole media and the fans would bash Williams forever for not signing him after such circunstances. 

 

It's makes much more sense for the team to adopt a low profile and play it quiet so that only them really knows how fast, or slow, Kubica was on the test. 

 

Sirotkin might have another big bag of cash, on top of Stroll's, and we all know how Williams always needs and loves to receive that, regardless of the driver's quality. 

 

As things stands right now, nobody would bash Williams for opting for another driver as we don't know the true current speed of Kubica but with a  jaw dropping lap time we all would and Williams would be on a very bad spot to go with any driver other than the Pole.

 

This is all good old coorportate Williams doing things only for themselves and not caring at all about the media/fans(and maybe I don't even blame them this time)

 

Obviously, it could easily be that Williams sent Robert on a qualifying mode and he just wasn't quick enough but I'm just arguing what good would it be for Williams to do that(put him on QLF mode)

 

His race pace looked tremendous witth the Renault and Williams and that's what gives me confidence on him as well as his own self-confidence, with Kubica being so harsh on him and his goals.

 

Why are there so many people here deeming what he did today a 'failure'? 

 

It was not a failure by any means. Until they have something solid to back that up they shouldn't be doing that. No one here is claiming he already got the seat after the tests.

It's a failure because, in their minds, Kubica needed to have done a fantastic time(maybe high 37s) in order to qualify for the seat. The only problem is that people assume he had the car in the conditions for that...... that's why, in their minds, this is a failure to achieve what was expected, again, BY THEM.

 

We all would have liked headline times. Unfortunately, things aren't always as we want them to be and, on that line, I think we'll have to endure until the winter testings(on February or whatever) to know who's the chosen one.  

 

Williams ban on interviews today is even more frutrating as RK body language and facial expressions are always very telling  

[jaksa]

I fully agree. Great post Rupert.

Edited by jaksa, 29 November 2017 - 17:52.

[Claudius]

Funny because two of these guys considered him one of the best or the best. But what do they know.

 

Yeah, about 10 years ago. 

Jan Magnussen was considered one of the best prior to F1 but then went on to dissapoint.

 

So just because Hamilton and Alonso said something 10 years ago doesn't mean it's the holy gospel today. Especially considering he had a terrible accident inbetween.

[TheRacingElf]

Williams refusing to discuss Kubica's speed

 

"The Pole was four tenths quicker than Sergey Sirotkin, who also drove the Williams during the day, although the Russian set his fastest time with the soft tyres while Kubica used the new hypersofts.

Williams' tech chief Paddy Lowe said, however, that the laptimes offered a misleading picture, and refused to discuss Kubica's pace."

 

"It's a really complicated topic, performance and speed, so to read a timesheet is quite misleading, so I'm not gonna talk about that. We haven't even analysed it for ourselves," he added.

 

https://www.motorspo...a-speed-984300/

Edited by TheRacingElf, 29 November 2017 - 17:57.

[DrProzac]

That ban on talking to the press.. the only reason I can currently think of that makes sense is that they'll want to make some sort of announcement or press conference. Still strange, I mean even if we assume that the deal is done and the want to announce Kubica as their racing driver he could still do the normal press talk without giving away anything important. Building interest PR exercise, perhaps?

 

Strange anyway.

 

@up: Lowe said the obvious about drawing conclusions from testing laptimes without information about the setup, fuel load, tire and track condition, telemetry. Unfortunately it's not obvious for most of the people here, so we're having a sh*t storm as usual.

Edited by DrProzac, 29 November 2017 - 18:00.

[Claudius]

Sirotkin's lap was pretty impressive. Very close to Stroll's during the Qualifying on the Softs

 

Yeah but Stroll is not known for his good quali laps. And besides, AFAIK Sirotkin was driving with 2018 Pirelli. 

So it's hard to know if Sirotkin did an impressive lap. 

[krioru]

Kubica was quicker than Sirotkin (third in GP2 two times, so not that terrible) by quite a margin - 0.5 s. I think there's nothing to discuss here anymore. The deal is done, contract is signed, the ink is dry, can't change it no more. Welcome back, Robert!

[DrProzac]

Yeah but Stroll is not known for his good quali laps. And besides, AFAIK Sirotkin was driving with 2018 Pirelli. 

So it's hard to know if Sirotkin did an impressive lap. 

 

The 2018 soft is one step softer than it was this year. As all the other compounds. But as I said, there are lost of other factors we have no idea about, so comparing laptimes from tests is kinda stupid.

Edited by DrProzac, 29 November 2017 - 18:02.

[realracer200]

Basically he has done the same time as Sainz. How the hell is that not impressive given he has had infinitely less time in 2018 cars? I mean seriously?

[krioru]

Yeah but Stroll is not known for his good quali laps. And besides, AFAIK Sirotkin was driving with 2018 Pirelli. 

So it's hard to know if Sirotkin did an impressive lap. 

Everyone tested 2018 Pirelli.

 

Edited by krioru, 29 November 2017 - 18:08.

[Squeed]

Was there too in grandstand 24 facing the accident, complete silence until we saw him moving his hands and feet after the car came to a halt.

 I was at the turn 1-2 stands, we say the safety car called, then on the giant screen they immediate showed the wreck.  It was GASP!  F********!  Then silence as people stood there watching it replayed over and over with mouths hanging open.  The Hans device and the driver capsule tech saved his life for sure.

[Clatter]

Basically he has done the same time as Sainz. How the hell is that not impressive given he has had infinitely less time in 2018 cars? I mean seriously?

I don't think anyone has any experience in 2018 cars.

[Claudius]

Everyone tested 2018 Pirelli.

 

 

 

I know but the poster I replied to was making comparisons to Strolls quali time from last weekend. 

[Clatter]

I was at the turn 1-2 stands, we say the safety car called, then on the giant screen they immediate showed the wreck. It was GASP! F********! Then silence as people stood there watching it replayed over and over with mouths hanging open. The Hans device and the driver capsule tech saved his life for sure.

A huge slice of luck saved him that day. The front was ripped off and his legs left exposed, a twist in the wrong direction and it would have been a much different result.

[Claudius]

Basically he has done the same time as Sainz. How the hell is that not impressive given he has had infinitely less time in 2018 cars? I mean seriously?

 

Ok but I'm going to reply with a post from a few pages back by a Kubica fan:

 

 

Do you know the details about tires, fuel loads and so on? Please share with us.

 

[TheWilliamzer]

Robert should have the seat. Me as a Williams hardcore fan I see him as the only hope for a better 2018 for the team. He's good technically, so at least if he's off the pace he can teach Lance a thing or two about setup and feedback, and can help develop the car. I can't say the same about Kvyat or Pascal. They have the pace but they can't be relied on to lead the team. As for Paul, he's got some experience but I don't see him doing what Robert can.

You can treat this post as thoughts in a high voice from the mind of an anxious fan 😂😭

[Requiem84]

All the testing of Kucica implies there still is sone serious doubt.

But why not take the guess and built in some performance clauses? If outside of Stroll's Q time 102% on average after 6 races, right to fire him etc?

[Muppetmad]

Catching up, as sadly I couldn't be here live. It looks like it has been another productive day; let's see what emerges from here!

[NorthEast]

He’s got the job. 100%

Certainly looks like he is fast.

He’s as fit as they come.

The cheers from the mechanics when they closed the garage door after his last run.

His demeanour and general level of integration into the team (from the photos on twitter etc) plain to see that he is already part of it. He knows it and the team members clearly do too.

Finally, the fact that they stopped him doing interviews today. They (Williams) want to make sure this breaks in the right way and on their terms.


Too many reasons to ignore. This is a done deal..... I think.

[TEHNOS]

This

[DrProzac]

That's my feeling too. But there's a big gap between feeling and confirmed facts.

[PedroDiCasttro]

But when are they going to announce it? It's nearly December.

[F1Lurker]

MY GUESS.

 

What I take from everything is that Williams want to sign Kubica, BUT there is no contract yet. There are still issues around, sponsorship, driver commitments, length of contract, salary, exit options... etc. It makes sense for Williams not to talk up Kubica's test until the contract is agreed and inked.

 

Kubica might be willing to settle for just about anything for a few years, but Rosberg is more hard nosed and will be seeking the best possible deal for his client. The ultimate agreement will take a bit of time. I would expect an announcement in the next few weeks.

[cravenciak]

1. Sirotkin just said on the interview for Eleven Sports that he did not test hypersofts because he had to spare them for Robert.

 

Any doubts, still?

 

2. Reporters say that Sirotkin left the track with no special farawell, nothing more but cold goodbye and shaking hands. While Robert stayed at the sort of after party, helped packing stuff etc.  

3. Oleg Karpov said that Sirotkin has no sponsors behind him.

4. Hungarian journalists from Autosport ES FORMULA MAGAZIN are expecting an announcement within few days.

Edited by cravenciak, 29 November 2017 - 20:38.

[pokwa]

In Eleven F1 polish reporters says Kubica has some traffic issues on his fastest lap. BTW. Mikołaj Sokół's body language show us he is overjoyed and he is probably closest journalist to Kubica. He thinks Robert will be 2nd driver and Sirotkin 3rd

[wingwalker]

Dunno, the time is not that hot and Williams' "we're not discussing RK's pace" kinda sounds like a code for "he is not as fast as we all have hoped for". I so hope I'm wrong, though as it's testing, we don't know what is going on blah blah.

Edited by wingwalker, 29 November 2017 - 20:30.

[pokwa]

Plus it might be nothing but Kubica was on some kind of after party with Williams after test. Sirotkin was on his way home already then

[Piif]

He’s got the job. 100%

Certainly looks like he is fast.

 

 

I really hope so but this test didn't encourage such thoughts. He was a tenth faster than Stroll who was absolutely nowhere on the same track with the same setup last race. So in my books that means he was a lot slower than Massa, which even though undestandable, is a bit of a let down. And the no-comments part... If he was fast, why not say that his speed was excellent or something like that. It's not like some other team would "steal" him or something.

 

Then again, for Williams it might be a good choice to pick someone that is not too much faster than Stroll to help him improve.

Edited by Piif, 29 November 2017 - 20:40.

[Tsarwash]

After Hamilton took out himself, Kimi, and Rosberg in the pit lane. Kubica never got within 0.5 sec of Hamilton in qualifying. Lost the wdc lead at the next race.

I'm all for RK coming back, but let's not be so revisionist!

That post wash'nt revisionist, it was just a little selective with what was said. I don't think anything in the post was factually incorrect, was it ? 

[Domi]

What Paddy Lowe said in eleven sports today is clear . Kubica nr 1 and Sirotkin for test driver. Also Mikołaj Sokół revealed Kubica had traffic on his fastest lap

[cravenciak]

 

Wish I had the "detective" emoticon here Well, try to guess who's who at Williams.

Edited by cravenciak, 29 November 2017 - 20:52.

[PedroDiCasttro]

 

 

Then again, for Williams it might be a good choice to pick someone that is not too much faster than Stroll to help him improve.

Are you serious? 

 

I'm out of here. 

[cromofo]

I hope the announcement is soon coz I'm gonna go mad already

[Domi]

 

Wish I had the "detective" emoticon here Well, try to guess who's who at Williams.

 

"Robert baby..."  2018 coming soon   

Edited by Domi, 29 November 2017 - 20:55.

[PedroDiCasttro]

I hope the announcement is soon coz I'm gonna go mad already

I can't even work properly anymore. 

[Domi]

I think RK has it. He totally looks like team member already

[pokwa]

I can't even work properly anymore. 

Believe me.... me too. I was very stressed last days and I was trying to figure it out why, and it is fckin Williams 

[RacingGreen]

Kubica was quicker than Sirotkin (third in GP2 two times, so not that terrible) by quite a margin - 0.5 s. I think there's nothing to discuss here anymore. The deal is done, contract is signed, the ink is dry, can't change it no more. Welcome back, Robert!

 

Given that Sirotkin was on a harder tyre and had less time in the car I think he was pretty impressive actually. Of course we don't know fuel load etc. so a direct comparison is tough from outside the team but I'd not be surprised if they find a role for him, maybe as the reserve instead of De Resta.

[Domi]

Someone on other forum said that Kubica was blocked in sector 1 and had weak time there. If not that he could have broken 1.39 barrier propably

Edited by Domi, 29 November 2017 - 21:20.

[GodHimself]

Does anyone have best sector times from today, or even better a full listing of lap times including sector times (yeah I know that's highly unlikely  )? Apparently Kubica had traffic on his fastest lap so it would be (pointless but still) interesting to try to estimate how much time he may have lost because of that.

 

On a side note, I've been deeply impressed by Sergey Sirotkin today. His consistency was remarkable. Not much can be said about ultimate lap times (as always during testing), but he certainly wasn't slow. That Robert himself speaks highly of the Russian further confirms this impression. I hope his F1 career can still be rescued.

 

Ultimately, these were two wonderful days. Let the fastest driver win this race - whoever that may be. 

[MadYarpen]

Given that Sirotkin was on a harder tyre and had less time in the car I think he was pretty impressive actually. Of course we don't know fuel load etc. so a direct comparison is tough from outside the team but I'd not be surprised if they find a role for him, maybe as the reserve instead of De Resta.

Sirotkin did really well today.

Edited by MadYarpen, 29 November 2017 - 21:23.

[PedroDiCasttro]

Well, Sirotkin is next in line to get a drive at Renault. If I was him I'd stay put over there and wait for my chance.

[Domi]

Looks like Kubica received ovation from team members twice today. After he finished his run today, and then when he came back to pit later

[pacificquay]

For me, the gut feeling based on the mood music coming out of Williams in Abu Dhabi is that it won’t be Kubica

[PlayboyRacer]

The obsessive nature of some posters in this thread is rather scary tbh. Hopefully RK gets the seat, it would be a great story.

Beyond that, we'll see. But it amuses me that every person, be it poster or ex F1 driver or commentator, who isn't all for RK's comeback, is destroyed in this thread.

It's like a cult in here. If nothing else the RK thread for 2018 will be highly amusing. Lets see who calls a spade a spade then.

[jonpollak]

#metoo Playboy

[cromofo]

All hail majestic Kubica, god's gift to racing 

[Anja]

Well, Sirotkin is next in line to get a drive at Renault. If I was him I'd stay put over there and wait for my chance.

 

Is he though? They weren't exactly in rush to put him in place of Palmer when they had the chance. Renault aims higher than that, I doubt he has a realistic chance of a race seat in that team. I'd say a Williams seat would be much more likely, instead of either Kubica or Stroll. 

[messy]

Um....people can debate and put whatever slant on these tests as they like, but for me the doubts have crept in again, because the whispers seem to be that just like at the Hungaroring, he was consistent but not particularly fast. So suddenly, from thinking it was 100% on before this, now I'm thinking that this might just not work.

And the only thing worse than Kubica not ever coming back to F1 - surely - would be him coming back, being off the pace and replaced after a few races. For all his return to the grid would be a hell of a story, he needs to be competitive or it's ultimately not going to be the feelgood story we all want it to be.

I hope he gets the drive because that would show my doubts are unfounded and Williams have complete faith in him.