2017 Williams Martini Racing Team - Mercedes

[OneAlex]

Lawrence Stroll May Be Afraid of Kubica Partnering Lance

http://www.thedrive.com/start-finish/14 ... ring-lance

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I really dislike Lawrence Stroll and his general "I basically own Williams it's about what's better for me" mentality. I'm still hoping somewhere Sir Frank is keeping a diary eviscerating the man ready to be included into his biography.

If Martini can be brought on board with the idea of the third driver being over-25 as okay, I'd still like Werhelin to get the seat; out of the contenders I think he's least deserving of being dropped from F1 next year, and I'd love to see how he got on next to Lance and his father (both on track and off track). I think there's probably a reason Renault pressed so hard for Sainz over Kubica and if there is Williams shouldn't really ignore it either.

[Stalker1]

Even if contract with Martini would allow choosing Wehrlein as the second driver, Lawrence Stroll would not probably allow that. It would be too dangerous for Lance who would be matched up aganist inexperienced driver with arguably less talent than Ocon or Verstappen, but probably on the similar level than Bottas or Grosjean. Wehrlein is backed by Mercedes, but it is nothing compared to the money and sponsorship deals brought by Strolls.

I do not now, is papa Stroll bossing around or not, but without his backing, Williams could not probably hire Paddy Lowe for example. I do not have the data or info available to Claire Williams, but I hope she has a plan B for a case, if the development of the car is holded back due to the incompetence of the drivers.

[ringo]

Honestly i think Di Resta is a worst idea than Palmer(which is saying something because Palmer sucks), Di Resta was an underwhelming driver 5 years ago and he surely hasn't gotten any better.
The question should be between Kubica (a big gamble) and Massa (safe but unspetacular).

There are important questions surrounding Kubica,what is his physical condition? After this many years of inactivity what happened to his skills?
If he was coming to team up with say... Bottas, i would say Kubica is a valid gamble, for a Stroll-Kubica line up i don't know... the safe and boring choice becomes more attractive.

I think you are rewriting history. Di Resta was quite handy in the force india. The main issue with Paul was that he complained too much. He had a very negative and entitled personality because he was sponsored by mercedes and coming in as DTM champion if im not mistaken. He didn't grow as a driver because he didn't seem to take advice. He was actually respectably face and could race. He didn't always get the best results, but i think he is beyond Palmer in terms of talent.

Kubica to me is never going to be the same. Don't think he will be at the right level.
Drivers i would consider from outside in order of impact:
Alonso, Rosberg, Button, Pascal, Di Resta, Nasr, Kyvaat, Palmer, Kubica.

[Sevach]

I think you are rewriting history. Di Resta was quite handy in the force india. The main issue with Paul was that he complained too much. He had a very negative and entitled personality because he was sponsored by mercedes and coming in as DTM champion if im not mistaken. He didn't grow as a driver because he didn't seem to take advice. He was actually respectably face and could race. He didn't always get the best results, but i think he is beyond Palmer in terms of talent.

Kubica to me is never going to be the same. Don't think he will be at the right level.
Drivers i would consider from outside in order of impact:
Alonso, Rosberg, Button, Pascal, Di Resta, Nasr, Kyvaat, Palmer, Kubica.

I remembered him getting creamed easily by Hulk, he was average, yes he was better than Palmer is now, but he's older and hasn't driven in F1 in years...

[LookBackTime]

di Resta’s F1 return hopes
by Mark Hughes on 25th September 2017

Paul di Resta’s hopes of returning to F1 are looking ever-more realistic as Williams considers its options on who to partner alongside Lance Stroll next year. With Felipe Massa’s 2017 form having been less than sparkling, Williams has been looking to make a step-change in driver performance – hence an initial offer to Fernando Alonso. But with the two-time world champion expected to soon re-sign with McLaren, Williams’ attention then turned to Robert Kubica, looking to make an F1 comeback after his recent impressive tests with Renault. But the Kubica situation was complicated by thwarted plans to test him at Suzuka last week in the 2014 Williams that was there for Stroll. The more snagged and complex the plans to test Kubica become, the better are the prospects of the team’s reserve driver Paul di Resta to make a full-time F1 comeback.

Stroll tested the 2014 Williams at Suzuka twice – in the week before the Singapore Grand Prix and again two days after. An initial plan for Kubica to test the day after Stroll was thwarted by the Strolls, who preferred to have their two cars shipped to Austin in readiness for Lance to gain further experience ahead of the American Grand Prix there. This has left Williams looking at the feasibility of using its remaining 2014 car to conduct a Kubica test somewhere in Europe – and with the driver potentially looking for financial backing to cover the cost of the test. Although the Strolls do not run the team and the choice of driver alongside Lance Stroll is the prerogative of the Williams board members, and Paddy Lowe in particular, Lawrence Stroll does pay for Lance’s test programme in the 2014 cars. He does not pay for Williams to test other drivers in those cars. Hence the political difficulties of Kubica’s test.

Meanwhile di Resta waits in the background. He did a good stand-in job for the unwell Massa in Hungary at zero notice – his first time in the car being the first qualifying session – and with adequate seat time there’s little doubt he could still perform at a high level. His last F1 season was with Force India in 2013 and was very evenly matched there with his 2012 team-mate Nico Hulkenberg. Since then he’s combined a race-winning return in DTM with Williams reserve driver duties. At 31, he’s a good combination of speed, experience and motivation, determined as he is to prove that he should never have lost his place in F1. Williams could do a lot worse.

http://www.motorsportmagazine.com/opini ... turn-hopes

[LookBackTime]

[media]https://twitter.com/Motorsport/status/9 ... 3629665282[/media]

[marmer]

I think you are rewriting history. Di Resta was quite handy in the force india. The main issue with Paul was that he complained too much. He had a very negative and entitled personality because he was sponsored by mercedes and coming in as DTM champion if im not mistaken. He didn't grow as a driver because he didn't seem to take advice. He was actually respectably face and could race. He didn't always get the best results, but i think he is beyond Palmer in terms of talent.

Kubica to me is never going to be the same. Don't think he will be at the right level.
Drivers i would consider from outside in order of impact:
Alonso, Rosberg, Button, Pascal, Di Resta, Nasr, Kyvaat, Palmer, Kubica.

I remembered him getting creamed easily by Hulk, he was average, yes he was better than Palmer is now, but he's older and hasn't driven in F1 in years...

He literally raced this year.. and has raced full seasons until 2013 which is much more recent than kubica although I personally would love to see Robert back slightly more than Paul u don't see how people dislike him so much on here I remember him being a decent driver and the force India he had as not as good as force India today

[LookBackTime]

Williams confirms it is evaluating Kubica

5:13 – Williams has confirmed that Robert Kubica is one of the drivers it is evaluating for a race seat in 2018, as the Pole continues his journey towards a potential full-time return, after several tests with Renault.

Kubica suffered severe arm injuries in a rally crash in 2011, cutting short his Formula 1 career, but he started to explore the possibility of a comeback earlier this year.

He sampled 2012-spec F1 machinery courtesy of Renault and was then given the chance to drive the manufacturer's 2017 car at the post-Hungarian Grand Prix test.

Kubica's prospects of returning with Renault were ended by the announcement that current Toro Rosso racer Carlos Sainz Jr. will partner Nico Hülkenberg in 2018.

Renault chief Cyril Abiteboul had stated that the outfit did not get all of the answers it wanted from the final test, before acting to secure Red Bull-backed Sainz Jr. in a loan deal.

However, Kubica has since emerged as a candidate to race at Williams next season.

Lance Stroll, although yet to be officially confirmed, is set to continue, having joined Williams as part of a long-term programme, but there is uncertainty over the identity of his team-mate.

Felipe Massa was recalled by Williams after Nico Rosberg's retirement, to facilitate Valtteri Bottas' move to Mercedes, but has made clear that he needs to feel "wanted" to stay on for another year.

Massa, reserve driver Paul di Resta – following an impressive stand-in performance at the Hungaroring – and Kubica are understood to be on Williams' list.

"We are evaluating a number of drivers for our 2018 race seat, of which Kubica is one," a Williams spokesperson explained to GPUpdate.net.

Recent reports have suggested that Kubica will test for Williams in the coming weeks, but the team remained tight-lipped over how it will evaluate its options.

"The details of how we are evaluating the drivers on the list is obviously confidential, but we will make any announcements regarding our future plans when we are in a position to do so," added the spokesperson.

Rosberg, who previously raced for Williams from 2006 to 2009, recently joined Kubica's management stable to assist his bid to return to the Formula 1 grid.

http://www.gpupdate.net/en/f1-news/3588 ... ng-kubica/

[kptaylor]

di Resta’s F1 return hopes
by Mark Hughes on 25th September 2017

Stroll tested the 2014 Williams at Suzuka twice – in the week before the Singapore Grand Prix and again two days after. An initial plan for Kubica to test the day after Stroll was thwarted by the Strolls, who preferred to have their two cars shipped to Austin in readiness for Lance to gain further experience ahead of the American Grand Prix there. This has left Williams looking at the feasibility of using its remaining 2014 car to conduct a Kubica test somewhere in Europe – and with the driver potentially looking for financial backing to cover the cost of the test. Although the Strolls do not run the team and the choice of driver alongside Lance Stroll is the prerogative of the Williams board members, and Paddy Lowe in particular, Lawrence Stroll does pay for Lance’s test programme in the 2014 cars. He does not pay for Williams to test other drivers in those cars. Hence the political difficulties of Kubica’s test.

http://www.motorsportmagazine.com/opini ... turn-hopes

I think here lies the "issue". If Kubica tested the '14 car on the same track the day after Stroll and turned equivalent or better times, Lawrence would feel that they bankrolled a public humiliation for Lance. Sounds like more recent news shows Kubica will be able to test in the other '14 car after all. (Not sure who is funding the test.) Would prefer to see him driving current machinery, though, to make it a relevant test.

[marmer]

di Resta’s F1 return hopes
by Mark Hughes on 25th September 2017

Stroll tested the 2014 Williams at Suzuka twice – in the week before the Singapore Grand Prix and again two days after. An initial plan for Kubica to test the day after Stroll was thwarted by the Strolls, who preferred to have their two cars shipped to Austin in readiness for Lance to gain further experience ahead of the American Grand Prix there. This has left Williams looking at the feasibility of using its remaining 2014 car to conduct a Kubica test somewhere in Europe – and with the driver potentially looking for financial backing to cover the cost of the test. Although the Strolls do not run the team and the choice of driver alongside Lance Stroll is the prerogative of the Williams board members, and Paddy Lowe in particular, Lawrence Stroll does pay for Lance’s test programme in the 2014 cars. He does not pay for Williams to test other drivers in those cars. Hence the political difficulties of Kubica’s test.

http://www.motorsportmagazine.com/opini ... turn-hopes

I think here lies the "issue". If Kubica tested the '14 car on the same track the day after Stroll and turned equivalent or better times, Lawrence would feel that they bankrolled a public humiliation for Lance. Sounds like more recent news shows Kubica will be able to test in the other '14 car after all. (Not sure who is funding the test.) Would prefer to see him driving current machinery, though, to make it a relevant test.

Providing they decide not to keep Massa could they not just put either Robert or Paul in the car for the remaining P1 sessions

[kptaylor]

That's what they should do, but it would be Massa's car. I imagine the Stroll contract wouldn't allow Lance to sit out any FP's.

[LookBackTime]

That's what they should do, but it would be Massa's car. I imagine the Stroll contract wouldn't allow Lance to sit out any FP's.

Well that should be the right thing to do.
But Massa will be put in a bad spot I think.
And it possible his contract will not allow this kind of swap.

In this article (http://www.thecheckeredflag.co.uk/2017/ ... -1-return/) Robert made these comments (make me to be optimistic about his chances):

“These were very productive months in terms of answering my questions or doubts about my limitations. I was wondering if I could drive an F1 car and still be able to do it right. All of these answers were positive.”

“We’re simply working and trying to find the best solution for me for the next year. We’re trying to do it clinically and with calmness. We’ll see what the work brings us.”

“People who make these decisions probably don’t read people’s and websites’ fabrications and speculations. Some of these ‘inventions’ meet my ear but it’s just a part of this game.”

“It’s normal when there isn’t much information but there’s so much speculation that when writing articles everyone’s trying to make some analysis that shouldn’t be a thing,” before adding. “That’s pointless. Everyone has their job to do, though. Media do their job, I do mine.”

[Sevach]

I think Williams should look towards Buemi, less of a question mark than Kubica, younger and hungrier than Massa, more talented than the other options.

[LookBackTime]

[media]https://twitter.com/WilliamsRacing/stat ... 0893000705[/media]

[LookBackTime]

[media]https://twitter.com/Reuters/status/912697545574330368[/media]