Robert Kubica admits watching from the garage has been made "easier" by Williams' lack of performance during the 2018 season.

The Pole missed out on a seat at the Grove-based team for this year as a strong test and bigger backing from Sergey Sirotkin ultimately swayed the team's decision in the Russian's favour.

However, the former BMW and Renault driver was still given a lifeline as reserve and development driver and has still been able to get on track with practice appearances in Spain and Austria.

“With the current regulation where there are such restrictions on testing, it’s not easy [to get a chance]," he told Motorsport Week.

“You don’t see many [test drivers] or none at all being so active in the car, so this is a great opportunity for me but for sure, once I realised I can do it and I felt I could race despite my limitations."

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• Kubica reveals 2012 Ferrari switch was agreed before career-threatening crash
• Kubica only eyeing future Williams seat despite ongoing problems

As it has turned out, the 33-year-old has been a bystander during Williams' worst year in F1 as they sit bottom of the grid and the Constructors' Championship with a car that is severely flawed in its design.

“Of course I’d prefer to be racing, but the fact is when you see the performance of the car it’s a bit easier to not race because if we were fighting for podiums or top positions then it would be harder to not race," Kubica continued.

“It’s not a question of position, I would be lying if I said if I’m fine with it. I’m fine because in the end, once I decided to say yes to Williams’ offer, I knew where I was going and I think I have a professional approach and I try to help the team and I’m a part of the team and this is a good aspect.”

Renault Sport managing director Cyril Abiteboul believes the Formula 1 calendar is already overloaded and should be reduced to improve the spectacle.

2018 has joined 2016 as the only seasons to see a 21-race schedule and since taking over leadership from Bernie Ecclestone, Liberty Media and CEO Chase Carey have mooted a 25-race season.

To cope with the return of France and Germany, this year has seen the first triple-header of Grands Prix, something that is likely not to be repeated as the Australian GP will be brought forward a week while Abu Dhabi is expected to be on December 1st in 2019.

The debate on the ideal calendar length has rumbled for years, with the impact it has on team personnel the main concern. However, Abiteboul believes too many events also negatively impacts the quality of the sport.

“We need to be able to engage with fans but it has to remain something special," he was quoted by PlanetF1. "We are already way above what should be the figure for something special.

“We need to convey a message of pride, of motivation, of energy. With the calendar that we have now, the enthusiasm is not the same as when we were only travelling 15 times per year.

“If we don’t have that energy, it is going to be very difficult to convey that externally."

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• German GP set to remain biannual event after Liberty talks
• Austin F1 chief worried Miami race could negatively impact US GP

The Renault chief also believes the apparent lack of competition for race slots, with only possible races in Miami, Holland and Vietnam appearing like realistic prospects, means the current race organisers have too much influence.

“I appreciate the reason why, commercially we need to grow the calendar, but as far as I’m concerned, I would be for a massive contraction of the sport," Abiteboul said.

“If you were to go very aggressive and say 15 races, you have to tell the 21 races you have right now, ‘Look, guys, there are going to be six of you that will be dropped: compete'.

“You completely reverse the pattern of the market. It would be very interesting to see the reaction.

“I understand it would be a gamble, that it is not something within the current set-up of Formula 1, but at some point, there will be a crunch time and maybe we will see if we can switch the balance.”

Red Bull motorsport advisor Helmut Marko has indicated that junior team Toro Rosso is likely to now be used as a testing bench for Honda to try and make as much improvement as possible ahead of 2019.

The Italian team is enduring a rough first season with the Japanese manufacturer, currently eighth in the Constructors' Championship and haven't scored since Pierre Gasly finished seventh in Monaco four races ago, although the Frenchman would finish 10th at Silverstone before a post-race penalty.

An upgrade brought to the Canadian Grand Prix brought a reason for optimism and ultimately led to Red Bull's decision, however, reliability remains a worry with both Gasly and teammate Brendon Hartley already well over their allocations for the season.

Now it seems more penalties will be coming before Abu Dhabi, however, as the senior team looks to ensure Honda is in the strongest possible position for next year.

“Of course we leave the decision to Honda, but if they find a tenth with the development, of course, they can try the expansion stage right in the race," Marko told Germany's Auto Motor und Sport.

“Even if that means we’re taking penalties for it.”

Over the weekend, Gasly admitted that the Japanese engine was still no match for their rivals, particularly Ferrari, who are powering their main rival in the championship, Sauber.

Meanwhile, Daniel Ricciardo has also indicated that he wants reassurances from Red Bull that the choice to switch to Honda was made for the right reasons before putting pen to paper on a new contract.

It's safe to say the jury is still out.

While Hockenheim may not be the circuit it once was, the FIA has still found space for three DRS zones for the third straight Grand Prix this weekend in Germany.

Following on from Austria and the controversial third zone at Silverstone, the famous circuit will see the three straights at the start of the now 16-year-old layout all see the rear wing flap available.

The short pit-straight before the high-speed Nordkurve at Turn 1, the longer sprint onto the Ostkurve at Turn 2 and then down the long, curved straight to the hairpin at Turn 6.

With Hockenheim only hosting Formula 1 bi-annually, this will be the first time the current car designs will take on the technical track, characterised by the main overtaking opportunity at the hairpin and the famous Stadium section.

The extra downforce could well lead to a Silverstone-style scenario where the first corner is almost if not flat-out with DRS on the approach, while the sweeping Mobilkurve which enters the Stadium will also be a great corner to watch.

Despite the trend of more zones being included this year, however, FIA race director Charlie Whiting admits that in the case of the third zone through Abbey last time out in Britain, it actually wasn't effective.

“The idea was that drivers might get a little bit closer than they would have done otherwise and therefore be in a better position to attack on the straights between Turns 5 and 6,” he said.

“I don’t think it actually helped.”

Haas F1 team boss Guenther Steiner and Renault driver Carlos Sainz have both emphasised the increasing competitiveness of what was already a tight midfield as the season reaches its halfway point.

The American outfit and the French manufacturer have really been the most consistent in terms of regularly featuring in the top 10, even if the results haven't always lived up to the pace shown in practice and qualifying, and that is shown as they sit fifth and fourth in the Constructors' Championship.

However, strong improvements from Sauber and Force India since Melbourne along with the threat posed by Toro Rosso and McLaren means at any given race nine of the ten teams can realistically consider a chance of scoring points heading into every race.

"There is not really a midfield anymore. There’s the top-three and then the rest," Steiner said, with even the struggling Williams team having scored this season.

"Everybody from fourth to 10th can be competing for points this year, as we’ve all seen. Now, being fifth, it’s nice to be there."

Renault's other driver Nico Hulkenberg has identified Haas as his team's main threat for fourth in the teams' standings based on recent improvements which have seen them move ahead of the Enstone outfit in the pecking order.

"I think with the potential of the car we have shown over the last three races, it is possible to aim for fourth," Steiner admitted.

"If we achieve it or not, that’s a different question. I don’t want to be arrogant and say we will finish fourth because by no means is it a given.

"We are competing with three very strong teams for this position. We will try, we will give it our best and, hopefully, we end up fourth."

Also Read:

• Gasly admits Honda engine holding Toro Rosso back in midfield fight
• Leclerc excited by Sauber potential despite Silverstone retirement

Sainz too acknowledges that for the gains Renault has made in the last 18 months, they cannot start backing off.

“We have lots of things we need to analyse, as the midfield battle is getting tighter and tighter,” he said. “These last few rounds have highlighted that trend and our current fourth place could be threatened if we don’t keep up the hard work.

“We had a really good two-thirds of the race at Silverstone and it was a pity we couldn’t bring more points home.

“We need to keep pushing to secure the fourth place in the Constructors’ Championship.”

Valtteri Bottas insists he and Mercedes are satisfied at the level of performances he has produced in 2018, even if a victory remains elusive.

The Finn could well have won three of the first four races with a little more aggression in Bahrain and better luck in China and Baku, as it stands the 28-year-old has four second places to his name and sits in fifth place, 65 points behind championship leader Sebastian Vettel.

At the start of the season, there was speculation that Bottas' seat was the most likely under threat from Daniel Ricciardo, with the Australian's Red Bull contract expiring after this season, however, despite the results, the Brackley-based team is set to keep him for one more year at least.

"Even though I’ve not scored the points I would have wanted, I have always performed at the level the team requires me to do," Bottas said.

“I’m more or less on the level I want personally. That’s a good thing. I’ve felt I have been able to improve my weaknesses and strengths.

"It’s been quite close [to teammate Lewis Hamilton]," he added. "There have been less bigger gaps between me and Lewis."

How Valtteri has coped with his absence of luck has been one thing most have praised, with him claiming only Mercedes can truly know how good his season has been.

“Having a few wins never does anything bad for you for the future," he stated. "But at least the team knows exactly how I’m performing and the direction I’m going with my improvement.

"Only the team sees in great detail how I perform every week."

Daniel Ricciardo believes Mercedes continues to be the strongest team on the Formula 1 grid despite the performance of Ferrari in 2018.

The four-time consecutive world champions are facing their biggest threat from the Scuderia since the V6 turbo-hybrid era began in 2014 as the Italian team currently leads both championships.

Many also now think Maranello has surpassed Brixworth in terms of supplying the best performing engine but the gap between the two is very small indeed.

“They are not as dominant as they have been the last few years," Ricciardo commented to Motorsport.com. “That was inevitably going to start to mellow out at some point.

“I still think they are the overall toughest package to beat on the grid but they’ve shown some signs of weaknesses in some areas.

“Compared to how they’ve been, yeah they look vulnerable, but still in the big scheme of things they are a strong team and difficult to beat.”

Looking ahead to this weekend's German Grand Prix at Hockenheim, a second straight home race for Mercedes, their motorsport boss Toto Wolff also thinks his squad continues to set the benchmark.

"We didn't score as many points in the triple-header as we had hoped for," the Austrian admitted. "A lot of that was down to our own mistakes.

"However, there is a silver lining to this: while we didn't maximise on points, we did bring the quickest car to all three races.

"So there are many reasons why we're looking forward to the second half of the 2018 season," he added. "We're hungry, ambitious and want to kick on from here."

Also Read:

• Valtteri Bottas performing at required level of Mercedes despite lack of wins
• Mark Webber certain Ricciardo will stay at Red Bull in 2019
• Mercedes shake up technical department, Costa takes on advisory role

As for his own team, Ricciardo admits Red Bull's opportunities are limited as they continue to sit frustratingly close but not close enough.

“I still don’t think we’ve got the real pace every weekend to convince ourselves that we can be there [in the title fight],” said the China and Monaco race winner.

“I guess Max and myself probably take too many points away from each other – Lewis and Seb are doing all the winning there [at Mercedes and Ferrari].

“We are good enough to win more races. We need to find a little bit to be there on more tracks," he stated

“Hopefully the ones we expect to be quick on, we are. If we come fifth and sixth in Budapest, we’re probably going to be pretty pissed off.”

2009 world champion Jenson Button believes Fernando Alonso "needs to do something else" in 2019, amid McLaren's ongoing troubles.

The Briton partnered the Spaniard for the first two years of the Honda partnership in 2015/16 but would call time on his Formula 1 career at the end of the latter, allowing Stoffel Vandoorne to take his seat.

A decision to switch to Renault engines for 2018 has not brought the results to Woking that many were hoping and now CEO Zak Brown has instigated a major overhaul of the team to try and change their fortunes.

What this means for Alonso though is unclear, as he has appeared frustrated by McLaren's ongoing plight but has continued to perform as only the double world champion can.

"He's clearly still enjoying it, but as a double world champion, finishing ninth and being happy is not really something you want to get used to," Button told Sky Sports at Silverstone.

"I don't know what he's going to do next year, but I think they need a big turnaround and he has to have great belief in them to succeed next year, or he's going to go."

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• McLaren CEO Brown wants to open up rigid operating structure
• Abiteboul: Renault would only consider Alonso on a multi-year deal
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Based on his own experience, the 38-year-old, who now races in Japan's Super GT, claims he would do the second of those options, particularly with Alonso's alternative goal.

"He's got ambitions to win the Indy 500 and do the 'Triple Crown' and for me, I feel that's a good option for him next year," he claimed.

"From a drivers' point of view who's got experience for this, he's got to do something else.

Pirelli will simply use the hard, medium and soft naming system for each tyre compound at the races in 2019, with only three colours to designate the types of slick rubber.

The change comes at the request of the FIA and Liberty Media, who believe the current names, ranging from Hypersoft to Superhard is too complex for casual Formula 1 fans to understand.

“We will tell you which is the compound we nominate for each race because obviously, we are not going to race with the [same] three compounds everywhere,” said Mario Isola, Pirelli’s sporting director.

“We will find a way to give you the information but for spectators that are not really interested in technical stuff they will learn three colours, three names and that’s all.”

While easier for fans, the change could cause confusion at the factory, as the same tyre compound will feature different colours at different races. For example, this year the Supersoft would have carried the title of soft, medium and hard at least once.

Also Read:

• Pirelli willing to revolutionise tyre design in 2021, if F1 wants it

Another factor to consider is which of the current colours should be used.

“I will have another meeting with FOM and with the people from television to understand which are the three colours that are more visible,” Isola said. “Somebody told me on television it’s difficult to recognise white from yellow.”

Former Red Bull driver Mark Webber is certain the man who replaced him, Daniel Ricciardo, will be staying his current seat for 2019 and beyond.

The Australian, who went on to win the WEC title with Porsche before retiring in 2016, is now a pundit and remains in close contact with his fellow countryman, who has been considering options away from the Milton Keynes outfit for next season.

The 29-year-old is still yet to put pen to paper, citing a need for clarity regarding Red Bull's decision to switch to Honda, but with neither Mercedes nor Ferrari considering him Webber doesn't see a good enough reason for Ricciardo to go anywhere.

"I'd imagine he'll be staying," he told Speedcafe.com. "I don't know how long obviously that commitment will be, but, let's see. It was worth waiting but (he's) probably going to stay where he is.

"He's in that sensational window at the moment where his stock is very, very high but we all know Lewis Hamilton is the main man.

"I mean, there is still main men, and that's what Formula 1 can be like, and you've got to sort of be in the right place, (at the) right time in a way to get those opportunities."

Also Read:

• Ricciardo admits surprise at Ferrari's lack of interest over 2019 seat
• Lack of Hamilton/ Mercedes announcement holding up Ricciardo/Red Bull deal

McLaren has been the most obvious team to show interest in the seven-time Grand Prix winner and Ricciardo did claim there was some "appeal" in going to a current midfield team, however, Webber saw that claim as nothing more than a negotiating tool.

"That (Red Bull) was all he had, really," he claimed. "Telling these others teams, sort of midfield at best, (they were) on the radar, I don’t know if that was just a bit of sort of bargaining to try and get Red Bull to move a bit.

"But at the end of the day, I spoke to him about it, he knows what my feelings are on this and you know it’s tricky to find if it’s greener somewhere else.

"The teams that are winning at the moment are settled and to try and get that last seat is extremely difficult."