Formula 1: Robert Kubica to drive for Williams in 2019

Robert Kubica, who has been out of Formula 1 since 2010, is set to drive for Williams Racing in the 2019 Formula 1 season.

Robert Kubica last competed in a Formula 1 race back in 2010 when he competed in the season finale, the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. This season, he was tipped to sign with Williams Martini Racing as the replacement for Felipe Massa, but Sergey Sirotkin ended up landing that ride largely due to his substantial financial backing from SMP Racing.

Instead, the 33-year-old Pole signed with Williams as their reserve driver for this season. But now he is set to return to Formula 1 as a full-time driver, and he is set to do as the replacement for the 23-year-old Russian at the Grove-based team beginning next season.

Kubica was a test driver for Renault in the 2005 season, and he test drove for Sauber in the 2006 season before making six starts driving for the team at the end of the season. He drove full-time for Sauber from the 2007 season through the 2009 season before driving for Renault full-time in the 2010 season.

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A devastating rally crash in February of 2011 that left Kubica with several major injuries prevented him from returning to Renault and Formula 1 in general that season. In fact, he had already agreed to drive for Ferrari in the 2012 season, but he ended up not being able to do so as a result of this devastating crash.

According to Motorsport, Kubica was approached about becoming a simulator driver for Ferrari next season, which would have put him in a position to potentially drive for the Italian team one day after all. However, he accepted the offer to replace Sirotkin at Williams instead. Here is what he had to say about the matter.

"“Maybe the wish of driving and coming back to F1 is bigger than the wish of a long project. I leave a lot to personal conclusions. When I’m saying I want to make my mind up, it’s also about what I want to do with my future. I’m not looking only for the next three months, or one year, but what is my feeling.”"

Over the course of his Formula 1 career so far, Kubica has competed in 76 races. He has earned one victory, 12 podium finishes and one pole position, and he has led 75 of the 4,203 laps that he has completed. He has recorded three top eight finishes in the driver standings in four full seasons of competition.

Kubica earned his lone Formula 1 victory in the 2008 Canadian Grand Prix. The 2008 season was also the season that resulted in him recording a career-high seven podium finishes and his lone pole position for the Bahrain Grand Prix, leading a career-high 68 laps and finishing in a career-high fourth place in the driver standings.

The confirmation of Kubica means that Williams’ lineup for the 2019 season is set. George Russell was named the replacement driver for Lance Stroll, who will likely replace Esteban Ocon at Racing Point Force India next season, back in October. This means that Sirotkin and Ocon will likely end up not competing in Formula 1 next year.

How will Robert Kubica perform in his first season driving for Williams and his first season back in Formula 1 since 2010? The 21-race 2019 season is scheduled to get underway on Sunday, March 17, 2019. The first of the 21 races on next year’s schedule is the Australian Grand Prix, which is set to be broadcast live from Melbourne Grand Prix Circuit in Melbourne, Australia, so be sure not to miss this race nor any of the other 20 races in the 2019 season.