Robert Kubica is weighing up two big opportunities for 2019, race with Williams or join Ferrari as a development driver, according to Autosport.
While the latter choice has been known for a few days now, the first is a new development reported by the British publication on Friday, though has been met by scepticism in some quarters.
The Pole has been working towards achieving his goal of returning to Formula 1 almost eight years after a rally crash in early 2011 left him with severe injuries.
A reserve role at Williams was his reward for those efforts this year and now the Grove-based team could take the big next step, however, the allure of Maranello is hard to overcome.
“I think we are quite close to the decision,” Kubica said. “From my point of view I’m getting there and I have a deadline very soon in my head let’s say. It will be within a few days, what I decide, what I want to do and what I think is the best direction for me.
“I’m in a comfortable situation, this is what I’ve been saying for a few weeks. I will be doing something which in one way or another attracts me, and gives me the confidence that I will be doing something that I enjoy.
“But for sure a lot depends on making my mind up on what direction I want to go, if I want to race and where to race, if I can combine things and if I can focus only on one thing, as I did this year.
“As I said, I have my deadline, which I will respect, which is in the next few days. Then we will see.”
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Earlier this week, Pascal Wehrlein was another name thrown into the hat as a potential option for Ferrari development driver, with the Scuderia losing both Antonio Giovinazzi and Daniil Kvyat for next year.
That doesn’t appear to have impacted Kubica though, who still seemingly has an offer on the table.
“I said always when you are a small child you dream about F1, then you once you are established as an F1 driver there are two things, either you win championships or you drive in the red car,” he said.
“I was quite close to doing it, it didn’t work [out]. I cannot look behind, I have to look forward. It could be very interesting, but I have to see more about working with a top team on a high level.
“It would be a good opportunity from a professional point of view, but also from an emotional point of view it can be something interesting.”
For their part, Williams says nothing has changed regarding 2019 offers and that Kubica remains on a “short shortlist” consisting of Esteban Ocon and Sergey Sirotkin to partner George Russell.