Robert Kubica says he is in better shape now than his last F1 race in 2010 and insists that he is not driving with one hand.
Kubica is keen to make a comeback to Formula 1 with Williams. He took a six-year break from the sport after suffering a grievous injury during a rally in 2011.
The Pole has taken part in two one day tests at Silverstone and Hungaroring. He drove Williams’ 2017 car in the Pirelli tyre test at Yas Marina where he completed 100 laps while trying the 2018 range of tyres. On Wednesday, he will continue the test with a focus towards performance runs.
There has been a lot of talk about his fitness levels for F1, especially the usability of his right arm. So Kubica set the record straight about what he can do with his right arm.
“There is someone saying I’m driving one-handed, I’m not driving one-handed,” he said. “I think it’s impossible to drive a Formula 1 car with one hand.
“But I have some limitations, so in some way my body used some compensations, which is not wrong.
“We are human beings, and our brains are used to help our bodies overcome disabilities. This is normal daily life.
“This is something I think I’m on top of.”
Kubica underwent a rigorous training routine to get fit to drive the new generation F1 cars. He also admitted a lot has changed since the time he was racing back in 2010 so his new start will be from zero.
The experience he has built up over the years would help him adapt quickly to the bigger and heavier Formula 1 cars, he added.
“Physically I think I have done a great work, good work in the last six months,” he said. “It hasn’t been easy; it was not like I have been lying in my bed.
“Probably I’m in physically in my best shape, by far a better shape than I was when I was racing in 2010. So motivation is there, and the body is reacting in a good way.
“Of course, I’m starting nearly from scratch because Formula 1 has changed so much in the last seven years that it’s like nearly starting from zero.
“But my experience which I gained in the years I was racing in Formula 1 helped me to get on top of the learning process quicker than it used to be in the past.”
While Kubica is the favourite to win the final Williams seat, he has competition from Sergey Sirotkin, Daniil Kvyat and Paul di Resta.
