planetf1.com

Look halfway up the page. It's there

Well in articile there, there is no Kubica saying anything about silencing anybody.

He says he's answered those who questioned him, so I think that's pretty close.

I googled "Kubica silenced doubters" and got more than half a dozen hits on the first page alone. One of them was from the PlanetF1 home page

Well one of them is where you'd expect him to be on the points table, the other is behind a Red Bull

_________________
I don't rely entirely on God

I rely on Prost

Well this thread is a total poo.

Author wants to draw a certain picture of Kubica flexing muscles, while his races are rubbish.

Kubica just said, he proven to those who claimed he couldn`t drive in F1 anymore, that is all.

Someone is bored big time, to make up such topics, seriously, and this poll....

So 1) Claire Williams saying there was never a proven difference in the floor/chassis, 2) Russel now driving the chassis Kubica drove for the first 4 races and he's still quicker. Kubica really needs to start to turn this round.

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"I'd rather lose a race going fast enough to win it, than win one going slow enough to lose it".
-Stirling Moss

Yeah any excuses are fast running out.

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PF1 Pick 10 Competition

2013: 5th Place
2014: Champion
2015: 3rd Place
2016: 4th Place
2017: 9th Place
2018: 7th place

Wins: Canada 2018, Abu Dhabi 2017
Podiums: (8)

Well... he was a great driver... but it's a shame, it's now proven you need to have 2 hands to drive at top level...

Another Q1 and another race. George Russell outperformed Robert in both. What is it going to take for Kubica to outperform someone at something that matters this year????

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Mission WinLater

He can't. Robert Kubica is no longer an F1-caliber driver IMO. Shame that Ocon is not in that seat...

That is my thinking. Claire should rent that seat to Merc and get some much needed technical assistance in return.

Family pride is strong in the Williams family but what they are doing is not working and neither is Kubica.

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Mission WinLater

Kubica has been thrashed twice, beaten convincingly once and just edged out on another two occasions.

Does anyone happen to know if there were any circumstances on the much smaller gap in Bahrain and China?

It's a shame for Robert but unfortunately he isn't up to it at this level now. Still a great story that he managed to drive an F1 car again following his accident.

Race	Gap between GR & RB
Aus	1.707
Bah	0.040
Chi	0.028
Aze	0.393
Spa	1.182

Kubica make me sad because JV was finally right for once.

The fairytale is, sadly, over. It was a great story and he's done phenomenally well to come back to F1, but the simple truth is he's just not quick enough. I'd also add that of the two drivers, Russell has been much, much more measured and composed with the comments he's made outside the car; Kubica has been the more critical and has been offering more excuses. After 2019 that'll be it for his F1 career - he'll probably go to Ferrari or somewhere in a support role, but he's not going to be racing again in F1 after the end of the year.

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Pick 10 | 1st x3, 2nd x3, 3rd x8
2019: 11th | 2018: 5th | 2017: 6th | 2016: 8th | 2015: 2nd | 2014: 15th | 2013: 17th | 2012: 11th

I actually think Kubica is kind of lucky the car is this bad. If they were fighting in the midfield, Russel would be making Q3 and scoring points while he finishes last. This way, at least there's only one position between them, however bad the head-to-head gets.

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PICK 10 COMPETITION (4 wins, 15 podiums): 3rd in 2016
TOP THREE CHAMPIONSHIP (No Limit Excedrin Racing): Champions in 2015 & 2018 | 2nd in 2017 & 2019
AUTOSPORT GP PREDICTOR: 2017 USA & P-F1 Champion

Ah yes. That is sad.

I'm afraid there's no more that needs to be seen to concede that this is indeed the case

A post-F1 career at Ferrari has done wonders for other drivers, Kubica should pursue it if it's still available to him. Giancarlo Fisichella is still driving Ferraris in the WEC a decade after his disappointing handful of appearances in red

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I don't rely entirely on God

I rely on Prost

I honestly still believe he deserved a chance to race again after all his hard work to get back into an F1 car. To make it to the grid again after all that he's been through is an achievement in itself and something he should be incredibly proud of.

But now, someone at Williams needs to make the tough call to take him out of a race seat and back into the reserve driver position I think. IF (and I know it's a massive if this season) Williams manage to make their car more competitive this year, I think Kubica will begin to hold them back even more......

I don't think there should be any regrets from Robert or the Williams team for giving him a chance, but they need to now bite the bullet and admit that it's not looking like it's working and do something about it.

It's not that easy now... Williams is selling the seats for sponsor money so they can't decide alone... They actually signed complicated and combined big deal with Orlen. Orlen is a polish petrol concern that has absolutely zero interest in sponsoring Williams without Kubica in the seat. It's possible though that they will agree on termination somehow as Orlen is also totally upset about Williams and it's embarrassing for them. From what I know it's a 2 years deal, don't think it will be terminated during the season but probably will be after the 2019... There is no hope for Williams for next season anyway as they already looking at the 2021 regulation change and will not even try next year.
And in fact... for Williams it's really no difference who is in the seat, even Hamilton wouldn't score a single point in this car so they will let Kubica end the season and take the money instead of paying compensation. After all it will be good PR as they will say they gave him a real full season chance instead of dropping him after few bad races

All that said, the sad fact is now, even if you stuck Alonso in Kubica's seat, they'd still be 18/19/20 just in a different order. So in defense of Kubica he's definitely not Williams biggest probelm right now and if he's as smart and great to work with as most articles suggest I guess it's better the devil you know for now.

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"I'd rather lose a race going fast enough to win it, than win one going slow enough to lose it".
-Stirling Moss

yeah, very good point re the money involved. I guess right now, the money is worth more than a driver that can be one place up the grid than Kubica is now, so it makes sense to keep him there from that viewpoint.

I don't believe Williams can do that because Kubica's sponsors paid for the seat?

_________________
PF1 Pick 10 Competition

2013: 5th Place
2014: Champion
2015: 3rd Place
2016: 4th Place
2017: 9th Place
2018: 7th place

Wins: Canada 2018, Abu Dhabi 2017
Podiums: (8)

Can Williams afford to turn away the money, they would need to find another pay driver first?

_________________
PF1 Pick 10 Competition

2013: 5th Place
2014: Champion
2015: 3rd Place
2016: 4th Place
2017: 9th Place
2018: 7th place

Wins: Canada 2018, Abu Dhabi 2017
Podiums: (8)

no I think you're right. I hadn't given that a thought really.

They really can't afford to be paying anyone compensation or paying back sponsor money right now just to get a better driver that still can't score a single point.

Honestly they were smart to sign the deal before the season as now who the hell would pay for this kind of seat?

Remember all that talk of Stroll moving to Force India mid-2018? And one of the interesting aspects of the rumoured move was that the Strolls wanted to bring Kubica with them. I'd love to know if there was any truth to that one

_________________
I don't rely entirely on God

I rely on Prost

Might be true, Stroll knew Kubica's ability as he was reserve driver in 2018 and maybe he was confident he can beat him and also benefit from his experience... as brutal as it might sound it seems he's not able to beat a teammate with 2 hands

I think the intention was to bring him along as reserve/simulator driver again, not as a teammate

_________________
I don't rely entirely on God

I rely on Prost

poor sirotkin is wondering where one of his hands disappeared to.

Did Stroll look better than Sirotkin?

http://forum.planet-f1.com/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=15352

Did Stroll look better than Sirotkin?

All these comments about the sponsorship money keeping him in the seat, isn't he essentially a pay driver and so he hasn't really proven anything to make it back to F1 as he isn't really doing it on merit as a non-pay driver.

For example, did people ever consider Pedro Diniz proving people that he could make it in F1 on merit? Every season he was involved, he bought his seat so I would say the answer to that question is 'no'.

Heck, I'm sure even I could make it to F1 if I stumped up enough money. Have I proved anything talentwise if I do so? Again no.

Also, didn't Kubica lose a shootout vs Sirotkin during the 2018 pre-season, a driver that turned out to be bad? That says it all really.

Yes, RK has an injured hand, but that is the basis on which RK has something to prove in the first place, since we already know a non-injured RK was good enough at this level. As far as proving he can make it at this level while being injured, he has not proven that, at least not in my eyes.

I commend Kubica & Wlliams for trying, but I really think Claire needs to consider offering the seat to Merc and Ocon. Might be the best for the team in the long run?

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Warning: The above post may contain sarcasm.

Really if I were Ocon I would never ever accept this... and the fact is that drivers don't matter now, the team needs to be totally rebuilt, it will take years to dig out from this and first step should be replace of Claire... don't want to hate her too much but in every non-family company she would be already fired...