Why Robert Kubica will make a success of his 2019 Formula 1 comeback

After eight years on the sidelines, and following a miracle recovery, Robert Kubica is once again a Formula 1 racing driver. His signing with the Williams F1 team for the 2019 season following a year as reserve driver certainly proved popular, but raised questions as to whether or not the Pole would be competitive on his comeback.

Let us look back at the accident that nearly claimed his life in 2011. His crash in the Ronde Di Andora Rally in Italy partially severed his right arm, among other injuries, and he slowly faded from the F1 spotlight following that accident yet remained ever popular not just in Poland, but throughout the world. After a year of testing in 2017 with Renault and Williams, he became the latter’s reserve last year before his race driver signing for 2019.

His fitness and strength has been one of the key talking points for many regarding his comeback. Plus, there is the fact that, bar rallying in WRC and WRC2, he hasn’t sat in a fast car, let alone a single seater race car, all that often. This has partly been due to not wanting to get his hopes up of a comeback, and partly thanks to multiple surgeries sometimes putting his recovery back my months at a time.

 But, his tests have shown he has the physical aspect nailed again, and a modified steering wheel and cockpit to accommodate his needs has helped. He claims he is fitter now than when he was back in 2010, when he last raced in F1. That is surely vindication that his fitness, despite his limited use in his right arm, is good enough for modern F1.

The bigger question is really whether or not that time away from the cockpit will still mean he has the speed and racing prowess that he once did. Many think not. But that is not what I believe. For starters, his speed has steadily improved throughout 2017 and 2018 in his tests, and his one lap pace when testing for Renault was reportedly quicker than then race driver Jolyon Palmer, and not a mile off highly rated Nico Hulkenburg.

Williams wanted to evaluate him further, which is why he took a reserve driver for a year when the team chose Russian Sergey Sirotkin over him. But Kubica steadily improved through 2018, being the fastest Williams driver in pre-season testing and faster than race driver Lance Stroll in FP1 in Barcelona. 

The amount of testing he has done, has meant he has more and more knowledge of what a modern hybrid F1 car can do. And when it comes to racing, whilst he might be rusty at first you never lose those natural racing instincts and that race craft you have developed. 

And that is why I believe will make this comeback successful, and keep those doubters silenced. Of course, it is important to understand why there are doubters. There has never really been a comeback like this before, and eight years is a very long time between your last and next race in any racing series, let alone that of Formula 1. Michael Schumacher was only out of Formula 1 for three years before his comeback in 2010 with Mercedes. Kimi Raikkonen was also out of F1 for a few years from 2009 to 2012, doing Rally and NASCAR before returning with Lotus in 2012, and winning two races with that team. 

Kubica though has shown the determination to return, and is not simply returning because Williams have waved a big paycheck at him. Moreover, he likely wouldn't return if he didn't himself believe in his potential. He felt he could return at the end of 2017, although has admitted that the year developing in 2018 has helped him massively. Another thing to consider is just how much natural speed Kubica has. Yes, he is alongside the reigning F2 champion George Russel, who quite frankly stamped his authority on F2 this year following his win at Paul Ricard. But even a Kubica at 90% of what he was is still faster than a lot of drivers.

He only really has to match Russel to have proved this comeback was worth it. And should he do well, who knows what could happen? Williams have spoken of Kubica being a part of the team for '2019 and beyond', and it is rumored that one reason Kubica got the nod over Esteban Ocon for a 2019 seat is that Ocon and Mercedes didn't want a deal longer than one year, and Williams didn't want a driver they might lose after one season. Kubica was someone who knew their car, and would happily stay beyond 2019 so it has been suggested he has a two year deal. Should this next year, maybe two, work out, could he move up the grid? The chance is there for it to happen.

At the end of the day, the fact he is making this comeback at all, is truly remarkable. Had he not achieved his goal of racing in F1 again, he still would have achieved something that many thought was simply impossible even just a couple of years ago. Now though, he is on the brink of perhaps one of the greatest sporting comebacks of all time. And he will make a success of it. That I am sure. 

What's in store for Ferrari in 2019?

Ferrari entered the 2018 Formula 1 Season off the back of a successful, but ultimately fruitless 2017. Back to back wins for the team and Sebastian Vettel at the start of the year was a good start, and by mid-season many were tipping Ferrari to take both the drivers and constructors titles. But It was also around that point that things started to unravel for the Scuderia, and ultimately the drivers championship has now gone to Lewis Hamilton but the constructors is, as of writing (pre Brazilian Grand Prix) still alive. So, what next for Ferrari?

Mid-season saw Ferrari emerge as probably the best package on the grid. A dominant victory in Canada saw a strong 2-3 from the team in Austria as both Mercedes cars retired, and a hammer blow was then struck at Silverstone. Literally. Kimi Raikkonen spun Hamilton around at the start of the race, and Vettel then went on to dominate proceedings, apart from a sprint battle with Valtteri Bottas near races end. And eight point lead for Vettel and around a 20 point lead for Ferrari, made things look very good indeed for the team.

But then, things unraveled. A costly mistake in Germany while leading saw Vettel crash out, and Hamilton win from 14th on the grid, with a Mercedes 1-2. Wet qualifying in Hungary allowed Mercedes to lock out the front row, at a track Ferrari looked to have a decisive edge, which became a win for Hamilton. Ferrari bounced back at Spa with a dominant Vettel win, but then it went wrong again at Monza.


Raikkonen took pole for the team ahead of Vettel, and at races start the German couldn't get past his teammate. This left him under attack from Hamilton at the second chicane, who not only got past Vettel but saw his rival spin to the rear of the field as well. Vettel finished 4th, Hamilton won. Ferrari then simply lacked pace in the next few races, not winning again until the USA, but with Raikkonen, not Vettel. By then, costly errors in Suzuka and Austin saw Vettel's title hopes all but over.


This has very much left both Vettel and the team licking their wounds, but they still have a very competitive car, despite going in the wrong direction development wise earlier in the year. What happens for next year is crucial. Understanding what went wrong is the main thing, and the team is also preparing for a shake up in its driver line up. Charles Leclerc is replacing the Sauber bound Raikkonen, in a move that is both intriguing and exciting at the same time. 

The move perhaps shows Ferrari are looking for both more consistency in its race finishes, and one eye already on the future. It's fair to say Raikkonen has not been as fast as Vettel since the pair became teammates in 2015, although the Finn has had a stellar 2018. Nor is Vettel getting any younger, and he may walk away from the sport come the end of 2020, whether he has won a title at Ferrari or not. Leclerc, together with Antonio Giovanazzi, is the future of the Scuderia, and with a quite frankly brilliant rookie season under his belt, he looks set to do well in 2019.


On the subject of Vettel, with the mistakes he has made Ferrari may well be looking to Leclerc to give the German a harder time, which may raise Vettel's game and help eliminate the mistakes he has made. If both drivers are pushing each other to their very best, they may well be in an even stronger position than they have been this year with the Vettel and Raikkonen partnership.

Ferrari must eliminate the mistakes that have blighted their 2018 campaign, one which they have been much more of a challenger to Mercedes yet are still set to come up short. Vettel must also iron out the costly errors that have ruined his chances of taking the title this year, and put in more brilliant performances that we saw from him in Silverstone and Bahrain, where on incredibly worn tyres, he held off Bottas for a remarkable win.

What's in store for the team then in 2019 is hard to tell. As long as Ferrari realise what went wrong in this years development race, they should be in a good position to challenge Mercedes once again. Leclerc may in for a year of learning, but it wouldn't be too surprising to see him take the fight to his teammate after a bit of bedding in, and perhaps challenge for the championship himself. 

Ferrari still have some things they need to address. Should they do so, 2019 may finally be the year it all comes good. With it being over ten years since the team last took any form of title, they know it is make or break time to fight and beat Mercedes. 

IndyCar's rookie sensation and emerging star

Four races into the IndyCar season, and it looks like we all going to enjoy an ultra competitive season full of the usual twists and turns that we have come to expect from the pinnacle of American open-wheel racing. Perhaps more so this year with the new universal aerokit. But through the first three races, we have seen two drivers standout from a field full of young stars and wise old heads, that look to be the years two main title contenders; Robert Wickens and Alexander Rossi.

Wicken's has entered the series this year on the back of several years in the DTM category with Mercedes. During his six seasons there he took 6 wins, 15 podiums and 5 pole positions before the announcement that Mercedes would leave DTM after 2018 gave him the perfect oppurtunity to buddy up with friend James Hinchcliffe and form the 'Canadian Superteam' at Schmidt Peterson Motorsport. And what we have seen from the IndyCar rookie is nothing short of remarkable. He stunned us all with pole position in St Petersburg and should have walked away with the win after leading the majority of the race. He had held off Alexander Rossi for a long period, but a late race restart with two laps to go saw a lunge from Rossi go a bit wrong, which spun Wickens out and relegated Rossi to third, with Sebastien Bourdais and Graham Rahal passing them.

Wickens didn't deserve that end to his race, and both he and Rossi himself knew that. It was just an unfortunate end to a move that Rossi had to pull, it was for the race lead with two to go after all. No one forgot about it at Phoenix, but Wickens first oval race there did help to fade the memory somewhat. He qualified a superb sixth and again found himself leading the race with just a few laps to go. 

This time, a late race restart saw a feisty Josef Newgarden on fresh tyres battle it out with the Canadian for the win. Wickens held on superbly and looked like he might pull off a remarkable oval debut win. Newgarden eventually swept past him but Wickens still came home second and took his first podium of the year. Ironically, Rossi was also on the podium in third and the pair even joked about St Pete in the press conference following the race. Clearly, there was no leftover tension.

Long Beach was a subdued afair for Wickens, he qualified tenth and was moving through the field nicely before gearbox issues scuppered his chances of a good result, eventually being caught up in a late race tangle between Bourdais and Jordan King. The rain hit Barber Motorsports Park race saw a much better result for Wickens though, as teammate Hinchcliffe took third with his best friend one spot behind in fourth. Wickens incredible run continued, he had adjusted back to open wheel racing perfectly and you'd think he was a series veteran and not a rookie in the championship. He is of course a vastly experienced race driver, but he has been nothing short of remarkable in his IndyCar career to date and surely will win a race if not more than one this year and potentially be a championship contender come Sonoma. His current series stats currently sit at one podium, and one pole. It could so easily have said one pole, two wins...

Wickens may have grabbed a lot of the headlines, but it is perhaps ironic that the man involved with him in the St Pete tangle, Alexander Rossi, is the other standout of this season. His results from the first three races are thus. Third, third, first, twelth. Of course the last result being at Barber, where he just lacked a bit of pace and then gambled on the late race rain on Monday not getting too heavy. Hey, you have to have at least one bad result a year. What makes Rossi's run this year so remarkable though is that, he could have won all three races.

The tangle with Wickens of course spoilt St Pete, but it wasn't all his own doing. Wickens move across on Rossi very late in the corner, putting Rossi onto the marbles which caused the slide into Robert in the first place. Let's not also forget that this podium finish came from 12th on the grid. He qualified in the top four at Phoenix, was running third at the start and looking like he had the pace on Simon Pagenaud and Bourdais ahead of him before a mess up coming in for his first pitstop dropped him back and earned him a drive through penalty. He then carved his way through the entire field from  being a lap down, passing cars as if they were standing still to get back onto the lead lap and finish third, the late race restart that saw Newgarden win perhaps slightly stopping his progress. His pace was such that some calculated had he not had the pit error and drive through, he could have lapped the entire field.

Rossi finally managed to put it all into place a Long Beach, dominating practice, qualifying and the race to take the pole and win and leapfrog himself into the lead of the championship. The winner of the 2016 Indy 500 and Watkins Glen 2017 had now announced himself as a championship contender. Pundits including Townsend Bell and Paul Tracy were amazed at his Long Beach performance, some said they had not seen a driver dominate a weekend like that for a long time. It certainly was impressive and those performances in the first three races you could argue make him the star of the year so far, and not Wickens. Barber was just a blip on the radar, in a race where he probably should have finished in the top six, instead he was 12th and lost the championship lead to Newgarden, but being only 13 points behind means he can quite easily retake that lead during May.

No one could have predicted just what a start to the IndyCar season we'd have and how Rossi and Wickens could have starred. Both have shown what talent they have, Rossi really coming of age and flexing his muscles, and Wickens being one of the finds of the century. We don't know how the rest of their seasons will pan out. But from what we've seen so far, they look set to become even more spectacular. 

Why Ricciardo is a championship contender

Daniel Ricciardo's victory in Shanghai was more than just an incredible spectacle. It announced his 2018 world championship bid, and showed that Red Bull really do have the pace to win races and potentially the tile in 2018. It was also the perfect way to bounce back from a gutting race in Bahrain, in which we never saw what Ricciardo could have been capable of. And if his rivals didn't take him as a threat seriously this year, they will now. And they should.

Pre-season testing had us all worried that Mercedes may waltz into the distance with this years titles, but it has been anything but that so far this year. Ferrari have won two of the first three races and potentially have the best package. Meanwhile Red Bull showed in Australia there was pace in the car, but thanks to being stuck behind the Haas cars and then the double retirement in Bahrain, we never really knew how fast the RB14 was. Until Shanghai that is. Thanks to superb strategy and phenomenal pace, Ricciardo was able to fight his way from sixth to win the race and take his first win of the year and show us what he and his car will be capable of.


The car alone is one reason why Ricciardo is a serious threat this year. Hampered slightly by its Renault power-unit it may be, but the Adrian Newey designed chassis is once again a top quality machine, allowing the drivers to do exactly what they want to do, when they want to do it through the corners and across a lap. Compared to where the team were in 2017, Red Bull are in much better shape chassis wise and Shanghai saw them exploit its strengths beautifully despite the power sensitive nature of the track. 2017 showed us how good Red Bull's rate of development is. They turned a so so car into a genuine race winner. They already have that race winning car right now. So what can they develop it into throughout 2018? A championship winner? They could well do so!

But it's Ricciardo's daring skill and overtaking genius that will really make him a true championship contender for the first time in F1. China showed us what a class act he is behind a wheel. His move on Lewis Hamilton at the end of the back straight, braking from so far back without a lock up or running wide was sublime. His lunge down the inside of Valtteri Bottas, with all the aggression of a honey badger was a move that you very rarely see from anyone other than the Australian. It was simply magical. 

You only have to compare it to his teammate Max Verstappen's ham-fisted attempts to get pass Hamilton and Sebastian Vettel, the latter move spinning them both around and relegating Vettel to an eighth place finish. Verstappen is a fantastic racer and overtaker, but perhaps lacks the thinking that Ricciardo seems to put into his moves. Rarely do his moves not work out, at all. Ever since 2014, when he first joined Red Bull, Ricciardo's talent and class have been calling out for a title winning car. He may now finally have that machinery beneath him. 

If Daniel Ricciardo wasn't to win a world title in F1, it would be a crying shame. Right now he is at the peak of his performance and more than ready to become a world champion. With the right car, skill and daring that he has this year he may finally have his shot. And he isn't letting speculation on his future get to hi either. So Hamilton and Vettel, you'd better watch out. Because there's a new championship contender in town. His name is Daniel Ricciardo, and he takes no prisoners.

The great aero debate: Who's got it right?

The start of this years motor racing action has brought spectacular racing, drama and excitement. But it has also brought up a very important question. Which series has gone down the right route with its aerodynamics? I am of course talking about Formula 1 vs IndyCar, both of which have launched new cars these past two years and have gone down very different routes to provide what they hope is great racing. And what we have seen so far has been incredibly interesting...

At the start of 2017, F1's new high downforce monsters hit the track for the first time and instantly became the fastest race cars on the planet. Lap records tumbled, speeds increased and the visual spectacle of a car on a flying lap became something else entirely. These had really become the ultimate Grand Prix car. Over in America, IndyCar was gearing up to change its own chassis. The Dallara DW12 was set to lose its present, aerokit and high downforce configuration, for a lower downforce spec universal aerokit in 2018, but with a huge 60% of its downforce coming from underneath the car. Quite a change of direction for the series. And a bold step to take.

At the end of 2017, F1 had seen its overtaking figures slashed by half of what there was in 2016. The initial fears from late 2016, that the cars would diminish the racing spectacle thanks to the increased turbulent dirty air they'd produce was brought true. Some races were thrillers, like the Spanish and Azerbaijan Grand Prix. But too many races saw little wheel to wheel action in a season eventually won by Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes, the Germans taking their fourth consecutive constructors title. IndyCar meanwhile saw a spectacular season close with a grandstand finish that saw Josef Newgarden beat out rivals such as Scott Dixon and Simon Pagenaud to that year's title. For IndyCar, things were looking up. For F1, everyone hoped that things would look up.

Flash forward to the present and both series have had their opening two rounds. F1 had a fairly quiet race in Melbourne before a tense strategic thriller in Bahrain. IndyCar had an incredible season opener in St Petersburg, with a solid showing next time out in Phoenix. The first two races with the new IndyCar had shown that the series had been absolutely right in cutting down massive aerodynamic parts and focusing and improving the racing. The cars had lost none of their speed, in fact Jordan King broke the St Pete lap record in qualifying. But with most of the downforce coming from underneath the car, the racing had improved immensely at a tricky street circuit as St Petersburg. Over 300 overtakes took place in that race alone. F1 could barely manage 15 in Melbourne. So of course, the debates begun...

IndyCar has clearly got it right for its own series when it comes to aerodynamics. The reduction in dirty air has allowed cars to follow each other much more closely than in F1. So that's settled then. IndyCar has won, right? Well it's not that easy. Because IndyCar features a spec car. Everybody has the same chassis and aero. The only difference is the engine. Some teams run Honda power, some teams run Chevrolet power. It's all down to recourses and how you set up the car, and of course the drivers. F1 of course sees everyone build their own chassis, design their own aero so every car is unique and of course four engine suppliers. Honda, Renault, Ferrari and Mercedes. Most definitely not a spec racing series. So how does F1 get a slice of IndyCar's action? How does it become so competitive that more than three teams can win races and the cars can follow closely?

Taking the 'ground effect' approach that IndyCar has taken would be a good start. Its clearly working. But we have to factor in the spec series nature of IndyCar. It allows for greater competition and more variety in winners, as no one team can steal a march on car design. This is something that is not in F1's nature or DNA, and no one would allow it to become so. The series has always been about designing the best car to beat your opponents. But is that providing the best racing in the world? 

Right now, not its not. A middle ground must be found, but taking inspiration from IndyCar. Don't become a spec series if that's not what your series is about. But change how downforce is produced and what aero each car has. Minimise that top aero and allow that downforce to come from underneath the car. Exactly what IndyCar has done. Allow each team to build their own car. Yes, it may still reward the Mercedes and Red Bull's of this world. But it would make it a damn sight easier for smaller teams to win races, as there would be a lot less gains to be found. And it would cut costs too. If everyone has the majority of its downforce coming from underneath the car and it is all a fairly equal percentage across the field, then what gains can you find?

The aero debate is one that will probably rage on for a while. But what is clear is that some ways work better than others and produce spectacular racing. And right now it seems, IndyCar is ahead of the game. With regulation changes being mooted, it's now F1's turn to show us what it can do.

Why McLaren must win in 2018

McLaren made a bold decision to ditch Honda in 2017 in favour of Renault power, in the hope it would jump them up the competitive order. With that Renault engine having won three races last year with Red Bull and McLaren claiming they have the best chassis on the grid, there is no longer anywhere to hide for the Woking team.

This year has been billed as the start of a new era for McLaren. Gone is Honda, in has come Renault. The team is looking to the future, whilst recognising the past with a stunning Papaya orange and blue livery. Fernando Alonso has spoken of his desire to fight amongst the frontrunners once again and Stoffel Vandoorne surely must be looking towards a first podium in 2018. McLaren has not claimed a podium since Australia 2014 and not won since Brazil 2012. A drivers title has not come their way since 2008, and a constructors championship hasn’t been won since 1998.

Ever since the Honda ere begun, the team has claimed to have the best chassis in the field, and very GPS data has suggested it is at least among the top three on the grid. But we have never seen the true potential of the MP4-30, MP4-31 or the MCL32 as they have all been held back by the powerunit. Since the switch to Renault power, the team has a new dynamic and a new feel. You can sense that the racehorse that has been locked up these last few years is finally going to get its chance to run again. A sleeping giant could be about to stir. And it has too.

Renault may not have produced a world beating powerunit since the start of the V6 turbo hybrid era, and indeed it went through 2015 without a single victory, but it has still won races. Red Bull won three times in 2017. The first came from Daniel Ricciardo in the madness of Baku, a lucky but hard earned win as the Australian came from 10th on the grid. The second was from Max Verstappen in Malaysia, overtaking Lewis Hamilton’s Mercedes into turn one and dominating the race. Mexico saw Verstappen again take victory, beating Vettel into the lead at the start and again dominating proceedings. The engine had improved and so had the RB13 chassis. A chassis McLaren felt wasn’t as strong as their own MCL32.

And they must prove it this year. They now have a race winning engine in the back of the car, and an engine that seems to have made solid gains over the winter both in terms of performance and reliability. The team can no longer blame the powerunit. Not realistically. Of course, the Renault may still not be quite on the level of the Mercedes, but it’s good enough for consistent podium challenges from Red Bull and the odd win, and perhaps even a title push from the Milton Keynes team this year. If the MCL33 really is better than the Red Bull and as good as the Mercedes or Ferrari, McLaren must do so. Failure to do that will result in them wishing they had never uttered the words “we have the best chassis on the grid”. Many may see a few podiums is enough. But I don’t think so. I honestly believe McLaren need to win races this season. They don’t need to be title contenders instantly, but they must win. They must be qualifying no lower than 6th and to really prove they’re as good as they claim to be, they have to be knocking on the door of P2 on the grid.

If they do not do this, and lose Alonso and potentially even Vandoorne, they only need to look a few garages up the grid to see what may happen. Williams have not won a title of any kind since 1997 and last won in 2012. They made a big step forward in 2014 and ’15, but the team has never truly recaptured the glory days of the 1990’s and ‘80’s, even factoring in the BMW era. If McLaren don’t want to suffer the same fate, then they must prove this year that it was only Honda holding them back. McLaren must win in 2018. And nothing less will suffice.

Forget the aesthetics, safety is paramount in F1

When it was announced that the Halo would be coming to Formula 1 in 2018, it received a mixed response. Many argued that it was vital that F1 pursued the quest for safer cars. A large number though argued that aesthetics are the most important part of the car and that “it wouldn’t be F1 if the Halo is on these cars”. But when it all boils down to it, surely safety outweighs any argument over aesthetics?

I’ll be honest, I do feel that a Formula 1 car should stand out from the crowd and look like the ultimate open wheel racer. The new regulations for 2017 certainly did just that and we had a field of incredible looking machines. So sticking on an 8 kilo or so lump of carbon fibre above the driver does take away from the visual appeal of the car. Looks don’t improve the racing, but if the cars look good whilst doing the business then the fans will be very happy indeed.

But it would be wrong to suggest that “it isn’t Formula 1” with the Halo on the cars. Formula 1 is defined as an open wheel formula of racing, as opposed to open cockpit. Whilst that is indeed the ethos of an open wheel car, it isn’t exactly a mandatory requirement that be open cockpit. And, let’s be honest, the cockpits are still quite open aren’t they? No, it is still very much F1 and will always be F1.

So yes, aesthetics are important. But not as important as the lives of those driving the cars. Now, huge accidents are rare in the sport these days and a lot of those accidents do see drivers walk away. But it would be naïve to expect that to continue and say “we don’t need the halo”. A couple of accidents over the last few years could have been prevented with the device. Henry Surtees died in a race at Brand Hatch back in 2009 after a wheel hit him in the head. Justin Wilson died at Pocono’s IndyCar race in 2015 after debris from the crashed car of Sage Karam hit him on the head. Both these accidents could have saved the lives of the drivers, with 4 time F1 champion Sebastian Vettel agrees.


"There would be at least two drivers in the last four years there I remember that would still be around - Henry Surtees and Justin Wilson - if we had this type of system.

"I think it can be very ugly but nothing justifies not having these two guys around."

Here is one of the best drivers on the grid, agreeing that yes it isn’t pretty, but nothing should come in the way of safety. It isn’t pretty, no, but why should it be? And what more of an endorsement do you need than that of Sebastian Vettel? Safety will always outweigh aesthetics, and we have to get this into our heads.