Five races into the 2019 Formula 1 season, is Robert Kubica at risk of being replaced by another driver at ROKiT Williams Racing?
After being slated to drive for Scuderia Ferrari in the 2012 Formula 1 season, Robert Kubica was severely injured in a rally crash in 2011. Until earlier this year, he had not competed in a Formula 1 race since the 2010 season.
The 34-year-old Pole signed with ROKiT Williams Racing ahead of the 2019 season and returned to the sport, marking one of the biggest comebacks that the sport has seen.
However, things have not gone according to plan for Kubica, who has yet to beat any other driver in any qualifying session or race through the season’s first five races.
More from Formula One
- Formula 1: Top Red Bull threat identified for 2024
- Formula 1: Why the Max Verstappen retirement obsession?
- Formula 1: Williams ‘mistake’ hints Logan Sargeant’s future
- Formula 1 awaiting key confirmation for 2024 season
- Formula 1: The ‘championship’ Max Verstappen only leads by 3 points
Of course, it is no secret that Williams have been a disaster so far this season, and for either one of their drivers to beat any other non-Williams driver, much less score any points by finishing a race in the top 10, would be a major shock.
That said, Kubica still hasn’t managed to beat his 21-year-old rookie teammate, George Russell, at all.
Kubica has qualified in last (20th) place for four of the season’s first five races. Russell, meanwhile, has qualified in 19th for each of these four races. Kubica qualified in 18th for the season’s third race, the Chinese Grand Prix, while Russell qualified in 17th as a result of the fact that two drivers were unable to qualify for the race.
Kubica has finished in last place in every race so far this season among the drivers who have actually finished the races. Russell, meanwhile, has finished in second to last in each of them.
In the season-opening Australian Grand Prix, Russell finished in 16th place, two laps off the lead lap. Kubica finished one lap behind Russell in 17th. In the season’s second race, the Bahrain Grand Prix, Russell finished one lap off the lead lap in 15th while Kubica finished two laps off the lead lap in 16th.
In the Chinese Grand Prix, both Russell and Kubica finished two laps off the lead lap, with Russell finishing in 16th place and Kubica finishing in 17th. They both finished two laps off the lead lap in the season’s fourth race, the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, as well, with Russell finishing in 15th and Kubica finishing in 16th.
Most recently, in the season’s fifth race, the Spanish Grand Prix, Russell and Kubica both finished one lap off the lead lap, with Russell finishing in 16th place and Kubica finishing in 17th.
The only other driver who has failed to outqualify his teammate and has failed to finish higher than his teammate in any of the season’s first five races is Aston Martin Red Bull Racing’s Pierre Gasly, who, unsurprisingly, has also been the subject of early-season replacement rumors, so while Kubica has the fact that Williams as a whole are an extremely slow team to use to his advantage as to why he has not performed well, he is still undoubtedly on the hot seat.
Is Robert Kubica at risk of being replaced by Williams before the 2019 Formula 1 season comes to an end? If so, will the team end up replacing him, and who would his replacement be if they do?