Robert Kubica has praised his 2019 Williams teammate George Russell, claiming Formula 1 rookies are ‘much better prepared’ than he was in 2006.
The 19-year-old Briton steps up to the British team after being highly successful in junior categories and having worked alongside the Mercedes F1 team as part of their young driver program.
It is for that reason Russell is expected to be a strong barometer for the returning Pole, who’ll compete in his first season since his near career-ending crash in 2011.
“George is a very good driver, one of the most talented of the young generation,” Kubica said. “He won F2, he won GP3, he is very talented and determined.
“As far as I know him, he is also a nice guy. He is also very mature given his young age and I think that this is a huge difference now.
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“When I reached F1, the youngsters were getting to know F1 and now they are much better prepared than we were 10 or 15 years ago. They work closely with F1 teams in their junior programs and they know a lot more than we knew.
“And I must say that he impressed me with his technical knowledge and other things.”
The big question hanging over both drivers and how competitive they will be is whether Williams has addressed the issues from last year, as a flawed car saw the team finish bottom of the Constructors’ Championship with just seven points.