Robert Kubica says Williams was running with a “compromised” package during the opening Formula 1 test due to the delays in readying its new car.
Williams’ FW42 did not arrive at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya until the early hours of Wednesday morning, and was unable to take to the track until after lunch.
It has left Williams substantially behind its opponents in terms of preparations for the new campaign and Kubica accepted that the delays meant Williams had to cut corners.
“In the end, the team did a good job to build it up as quick as possible,” Kubica explained, adding that Williams built up the car five times quicker than usual.
“Of course there are some compromises – I think so – but finally we got the car so we can concentrate on our job so I’m looking forward to next week.”
“It would be better to have a few more ideas and a bit more of a feeling in the car, especially because Australia is not far off.
“It would be better to be prepared more both from a driver point of view and a car point of view, but the reality is this so we have to keep working and hopefully the delays are only for testing.
“Australia is not far off… Everyone is concentrating on Barcelona because our car was late. Hopefully, the only penalty or downside is that we were late a couple of days and nothing more, but everything will be Australia. We’ll see.”
Kubica nonetheless stressed that the atmosphere within Williams’ camp is healthy, but that the team is braced for a tough start to the campaign.
“In the situation we are in [the atmosphere] is good, but we have to remember that Australia is not far off,” he said.
“So when you miss tests it’s OK, it shouldn’t happen but that’s a reality, but we have to make sure we get into the best possible shape for the first races, which for sure won’t be easy. But let’s see what will be.”
