Haas interested in Kubica for 2020 F1 role

Haas would consider handing Robert Kubica a Formula 1 role within its team for the 2020 season.

Kubica made a remarkable return to grand prix racing this year but his comeback has been somewhat overshadowed by uncompetitive Williams machinery, with the British squad languishing at the bottom of the F1 pecking order throughout 2019.

The 34-year-old Pole announced over the Singapore Grand Prix weekend that he will be leaving Williams at the end of the season. Kubica wants to continue racing in another series but has made it clear he would like to remain in F1 in some capacity should an attractive opportunity arise.

Kubica spend a year as test and development driver for Williams in 2018 prior to his full-time return to the grid and his technical feedback and knowledge is considered to be one of his strongest assets.

Asked if Haas would consider Kubica in a test role, Haas team principal Guenther Steiner replied: “Yeah, for sure.

“I never worked with Robert personally but a lot of people in my team did and they all rate him very highly for his skills as a technical driver who knows what the car is doing.

“He came up the hard way, working on his own cars, because he had to when he was young. I think it’s interesting for us to work with Robert. It’s more his decision than my one.

“Negotiating is one thing, I speak with him and we talked,” Steiner added. “If he has got interest he should let me know - but we are not negotiating yet.”

Kubica remained coy on the subject when pressed on potential links to Haas but said he hopes to have made progress regarding his 2020 plans in the coming weeks.

“I think it’s too easy to take conclusions of the words of someone else regarding what I want to do and what I don’t want to do,” he explained.

“I think it’s correct that I keep it for myself what I want to do and what is in my mind. It is very simple.

“Sometimes it is more simple than it looks from outside and sometimes we need to do step-by-step and not three steps in one go, so I think as I said, we will have to just wait and see.

“I don’t know what Guenther said but I know what I think, what I want to do, I know what is possible realistically and then we will see if this puzzle will be together or not.

“As I said in Singapore, I would be surprised if I would not be racing next year, but a lot will depend on what will be possible and of course we can talk about what I would like to do but there is no point as at the end you have to choose between what is on the table.”