Robert Kubica will return to Grand Prix racing for the first time since the 2010 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix this weekend at the Albert Park circuit in Australia, with the Pole set to make his first start with Williams Racing.
Kubica was preparing for the 2011 season when he suffered a horror injury in a rallying crash during pre-season, and it has taken eight long years to return to the top level of single seater motorsport, and he feels this weekend’s Australian Grand Prix will be like a second debut after such a long time away.
“It will be a very emotional Grand Prix,” commented the popular Polish racer. “It is the second debut for me after being away from the sport for many years.
“My last Formula One race was in Abu Dhabi 2010, so I am looking forward to going to Australia with a few things to cover and learn.”
Williams has endured an extremely tough pre-season after an equally difficult 2018 campaign that saw previous drivers Lance Stroll and Sergey Sirotkin score only seven points between them, but the Grove-based outfit are fielding an all-new line-up in Kubica and 2018 FIA Formula 2 champion George Russell.
Kubica is hoping that the team can have a smooth weekend in Australia so he can come further to terms with life as a modern-day Formula 1 driver, with the sport having changed immensely since his last tenure back in 2010.
“I hope to enjoy the weekend and that everything will run smoothly without any big issues so I can concentrate on my driving and discover a new Formula 1,” said Kubica. “It is one thing to drive a Formula 1 car, and it is another thing to actually race it.
“Over the years, I think the approach to races has changed, so I have a lot of things to discover but I am looking forward to it.”
