Kubica back in an F1 car

[cuprabob]

MissChief said:

He is at the pirelli tyre test after Abu Dhabi.

He's also driven a 2017 Renault

https://www.autosport.com/f1/news/131093/kubica-no...

[Bright Halo]

You really have to admire him coming back from an injury like that. His arm was virtually severed.
That kind of determination is powerful enough to overcome any adjusting setting issues.
I would imagine the biggest challenge is whether he still has the strength and stamina in his arm to last a whole race now it has less muscle.

Good luck to him I love seeing people triumph over adversity.

[ukaskew]

Bright Halo said:

I would imagine the biggest challenge is whether he still has the strength and stamina in his arm to last a whole race now it has less muscle.

I'm guessing they've thoroughly assessed that already. I always thought the biggest issue was actually slow tight hairpins due to the restricted movement, in which case Monaco would presumably be the severity they will have needed to factor in.

[shirt]

The hairpin in abu dhabi is tight enough to be able to give a good indication of that, plus the section under the hotel.

[skinny]

Bright Halo said:

You really have to admire him coming back from an injury like that. His arm was virtually severed.
That kind of determination is powerful enough to overcome any adjusting setting issues.
I would imagine the biggest challenge is whether he still has the strength and stamina in his arm to last a whole race now it has less muscle.

He already did over a double race distance in one day in the 2017 Renault at a reasonable pace - I think at Austria?

[cuprabob]

skinny said:

He already did over a double race distance in one day in the 2017 Renault at a reasonable pace - I think at Austria?

It was Hungary

[simonpeter]

Robert has said that the latest cars will be easier for him as there is more room in the cockpit. Lets hope he can do the job. His exceptional spirit and calm approach are an example to everyone.
I read that J P Montoya thinks that it is a joke Williams giving him a test. Would be wonderful for Robert to prove him wrong.

[anonymous-user]

simonpeter said:

Robert has said that the latest cars will be easier for him as there is more room in the cockpit. Lets hope he can do the job. His exceptional spirit and calm approach are an example to everyone.
I read that J P Montoya thinks that it is a joke Williams giving him a test. Would be wonderful for Robert to prove him wrong.

Can't help thinking there are better prospects.

[Vaud]

REALIST123 said:

Can't help thinking there are better prospects.

Who is, by priority:

a) has a superlicence
b) available (not signed to another team with buy out clauses)
c) brings sponsorship or is highly, highly affordable
d) over 25 (may be negotiable on this as I understand but the preference is >25)
e) can lead Williams through the next few years (i.e. they have a good record of development), can't just be a hotshot rookie - they need experience right now
f) sponsor friendly

?

[angrymoby]

simonpeter said:

Robert has said that the latest cars will be easier for him as there is more room in the cockpit.

but still not enough room for Pablo ...might explain the saltiness

[sandman77]

Vaud said:

Who is, by priority:

a) has a superlicence
b) available (not signed to another team with buy out clauses)
c) brings sponsorship or is highly, highly affordable
d) over 25 (may be negotiable on this as I understand but the preference is >25)
e) can lead Williams through the next few years (i.e. they have a good record of development), can't just be a hotshot rookie - they need experience right now
f) sponsor friendly

?

It is a sad situation when being fast isn't on the list of priorities when choosing a F1 driver.

[MartG]

angrymoby said:

simonpeter said:

Robert has said that the latest cars will be easier for him as there is more room in the cockpit.

but still not enough room for Pablo ...might explain the saltiness

I lost all respect for Montoya after he walked into a cameraman and went ballistic at him

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k8gmVRIoQok

[HustleRussell]

sandman77 said:

It is a sad situation when being fast isn't on the list of priorities when choosing a F1 driver.

That's because it's a given, there are no slow drivers in the arena.

[AndStilliRise]

Vaud said:

REALIST123 said:

Can't help thinking there are better prospects.

Who is, by priority:

a) has a superlicence
b) available (not signed to another team with buy out clauses)
c) brings sponsorship or is highly, highly affordable
d) over 25 (may be negotiable on this as I understand but the preference is >25)
e) can lead Williams through the next few years (i.e. they have a good record of development), can't just be a hotshot rookie - they need experience right now
f) sponsor friendly

?

Massa
But that ship has sailed, again.

[Vaud]

sandman77 said:

It is a sad situation when being fast isn't on the list of priorities when choosing a F1 driver.

I was taking that as a given.

We are lucky at the moment; no "Pay drivers" - most come with sponsorship - but as evidenced by the relative closeness of the grids in recent years, fast is a given.

There are no pay drivers hanging at the back at +3 secs to their team mate.

[Alfa numeric]

Vaud said:

REALIST123 said:

Can't help thinking there are better prospects.

Who is, by priority:

a) has a superlicence
b) available (not signed to another team with buy out clauses)
c) brings sponsorship or is highly, highly affordable
d) over 25 (may be negotiable on this as I understand but the preference is >25)
e) can lead Williams through the next few years (i.e. they have a good record of development), can't just be a hotshot rookie - they need experience right now
f) sponsor friendly

?

F1 cars have changed an enormous amount since he last drove though, how much relevant development experience does he actually have? I'd love to see him in the car but I'm not sure he'll be competitive.

[thegreenhell]

A good driver is a good driver. So long as he is physically capable and has the desire then he will be fine.

[Vaud]

Alfa numeric said:

F1 cars have changed an enormous amount since he last drove though, how much relevant development experience does he actually have? I'd love to see him in the car but I'm not sure he'll be competitive.

It's not the experience that makes a good development driver, its the quality, depth and detail of feedback - communication with the engineers - as I understand it. A rookie wouldn't have the mass of experience, though there are exceptions - Lewis was supposed to be very good in the early years.

[rdjohn]

Vaud said:

It's not the experience that makes a good development driver, its the quality, depth and detail of feedback - communication with the engineers - as I understand it. A rookie wouldn't have the mass of experience, though there are exceptions - Lewis was supposed to be very good in the early years.

I thought I had read recently that driver feedback was no longer an important component. The primary set up of the car is done on the simulator.

There are so many data feeds on F1 cars, it is more a case of telling the driver where he is under using the performance envelope. He needs to be able respond to that information consistently, of course.

[HighwayStar]

rdjohn said:

Vaud said:

It's not the experience that makes a good development driver, its the quality, depth and detail of feedback - communication with the engineers - as I understand it. A rookie wouldn't have the mass of experience, though there are exceptions - Lewis was supposed to be very good in the early years.

I thought I had read recently that driver feedback was no longer an important component. The primary set up of the car is done on the simulator.

There are so many data feeds on F1 cars, it is more a case of telling the driver where he is under using the performance envelope. He needs to be able respond to that information consistently, of course.

On the day, at the track, changing conditions the simulator set up might be a starting point but driver needs to understand how to zero the car in.
Of course driver feedback is important... it's not the case that they build a car and the driver just gets in and goes. Drivers rely ultimately on feel through the seat of the pants. They have their own preferences re what they want to feel from the car and how they want to set it up. The driver needs to know how to translate that to the engineers. Then you have a team mate who goes a different way on set up. Look what happened to Seb when the blown diffuser went and DRic was his team mate. Seb didn't become a bad driver over night, the car just didn't work for him.
If feedback was no longer a component then what some believe, put any F1 driver in the Merc and he'd be WDC. would be closer to the truth.
So yes, there are so many data feeds on F1 cars and they do have a lot of information at their disposal, but there's a hell of a lot more to it than being told where he's under.. He might be under because of set up rather not braking late enough or getting on the throttle soon enough. It's combination of the team, the engineers, the car, the driver and the driver's talent.