Robert Kubica will take positives and motivation from his 2019 return even if it was “hard to call it Formula 1”.
The Pole’s comeback eight years after a devastating rally crash was one of the big stories at the start of the year, but the excitement quickly cooled when Williams’ lack of pace became clear.
In addition, Kubica himself was struggling to match teammate George Russell and was beaten 21-0 in qualifying for the season.
“I gained some information. Racing in the last row is completely different to what I did 10 years ago,” he was quoted by GrandPrix247.com reflecting on his year.
“I remember one qualifying that I got out of the car and told a friend that in the golden times of BMW driving like that would have given me the front row, but I was last, half a second from the next one.
“If I would stand in front of the mirror in many years time and say I had the chance to return but I gave it up, that would be difficult for me to understand.
“But sometimes it was hard to call it Formula 1.”
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In Singapore, Kubica confirmed he would be leaving Williams and has been linked to development driver roles at Haas and Racing Point as well as a race seat in DTM for next year.
And the 35-year-old says his confidence to keep racing comes from what he’s learnt this year.
“In terms of results it was a disappointment, but if you delve deeper into what was happening, it wasn’t as bad as it looks from the outside. In many ways it was a very useful season for me,” he said.
“It gave me additional motivation and awareness that although I haven’t been in this sport for a long time, I can still race in high categories. Now I am already waiting for another challenge next year – I hope.”