30/06/2018
NEWS STORY
At the end of a busy session spent evaluating various new aero parts, Robert Kubica concluded that the big issue facing Williams contender, the FW41, is the lack of downforce.
Asked what positives he took from his second FP1 session of the year, the Pole replied: "The engine... the power unit."
When asked if that was all, he smiled and added: "You asked for one... but the livery is nice, the colours are nice."
Pushed harder to admit what he really liked about the FW41, if anything, he said: "It's strong... it's a strong car...
"There is only one thing which is changing performance of the car of three seconds or two seconds per lap," he continued, "and its name is downforce.
"If you have more downforce, everything becomes much easier, drivers drive better, engineers have more room for setup, the tyres are working better because you switch them on earlier and you have less degradation.
"There is no medicine maybe for everything, but there is a big medicine which is downforce in an F1 car."
However, the Pole believes the Red Bull Ring might yet suit the FW41.
"We are coming from a difficult period, but I think we will be more competitive here than we were one week ago," he said. "This is only because of external factors, it's not because of our package.
"There is some variation but we see this even with the top teams, but it's more predictable so this gives you more confidence and you are able to minimise losses which we have anyway from different areas in the car."
Asked how the car compared to the last time he drove it in Spain, he said: "I cannot say, because if I say we have done a step, it is a step, then you will write we have done the step. So it is not possible to say it is a step, it's just I think the conditions and the track layout is making our life, or making my life - I put myself because I drove this morning - it will give a bit more easier life to our race drivers."
Check out our Saturday gallery from Spielberg, here.