Alfa Romeo test and reserve driver Robert Kubica told RaceFans about the team’s improvements and his experience with the new 18-inch tires that will be launched for the 2022 F1 season.
Kubica ran in the first practice session for Alfa Romeo at the Styrian Grand Prix and replaced Kimi Räikkönen.
“It was a difficult session, I would say, not a great feeling in the car [but] It’s still nice to be back in an F1 car and although it was difficult we managed to do what we were supposed to, ”he summed up the session.
“These cars are the same as last year, but they’re not the same if you get what I mean.”
In addition to testing for the team last year, Kubica was the first driver to get behind the wheel of his current car when it was launched in February. “Overall, our package is more competitive last year,” he explains, highlighting the team’s greatly improved Ferrari drive.
Kubica was driving an F1 car again last weekend. “The guys from Maranello with the engine have made a good step forward. We probably missed a lot last year. I think we are in a stronger position. “
The engine has made gains across the board, he says. “I think handling has always been one of Ferrari’s strengths, it’s just that we have more power, more torque and generally more horsepower. It’s pretty significant. “
Having worked in a development role at Alfa Romeo, Kubica has said he is following the regulatory changes for 2022 with interest.
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“It’s going to be a big change, a massive change not just from the perspective of the fans, the spectators and the shape of the cars, but in general the pace will hopefully be different.
F1’s new 18-inch wheels were a “positive surprise” “The main goal was to get closer to the other cars. Hopefully this will be achieved. If that doesn’t work, then we have a big problem, because in the end racing drivers always want the most powerful car, the lightest and the most downforce, and next year it will be a big difference.
“We also have the 18-inch tires that we recently tested in Barcelona. So there will be a lot of changes and it will be rolled back completely. And it will be a very exciting time for the teams, but also for the drivers. Everyone will be happy [to it] And when you have regulatory changes this big, you never know where you are, so it gets pretty interesting. “
Pirelli’s 2021 tires have proven controversial for some teams after dramatic breakdowns in Baku and graining problems at Paul Ricard. Kubica is one of the development drivers who tested a modified chassis in Barcelona last month to help Pirelli and the teams develop the new, larger tires.
Kubica said he was “pretty pleasantly surprised” by Pirelli’s new rubber for the upcoming F1 switch to 18-inch wheels, after testing them on a modified “mule car” earlier this year.
“It’s a little unfair to compare with the current 13-inch car [tyres]because in the end we used a kind of prototype car that wasn’t built for 18-inch tires, but overall the feeling was positive. “
The official Formula 1 tire supplier was criticized after two failures during the Azerbaijan Grand Prix earlier this month. Kubica said tire development is “not as easy as it looks,” given the changes to F1 cars in recent years.
“I know there are a lot of complaints about Pirelli tires, but the fact is that with the current weight of F1 cars, it’s not as easy as it was 15 years ago when the cars were 150 pounds lighter.
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“I think there is still room to improve, especially on some examples that I think worked very well and on some others.” [had] Things that Pirelli can hopefully improve.
Kubica drove the C41 for the first time “It’s difficult because in the end they have to deliver a product that works for every car and it’s impossible to make everyone happy. And for them, too, the change in the regulations is a big unknown, but I had a positive feeling about the prototypes of the 18-inch tires. “
Kubica said the difference in tire feel with the modified car was surprisingly small.
“That was an even bigger surprise because when I did [have] closed my eyes, I probably wouldn’t really notice if the car was driving normally on the track.
“There’s a bigger effect over the curbs, of course, but I think the goal of Pirelli as a design was to get loads pretty similar to the 13″ and you’d expect ” [18-inch] Tires will likely be stiffer, but it doesn’t really feel that way.
“The difference is really hardly noticeable on the flat surfaces. Then of course there is a lot more inertia at low speed and in the end the tires are heavier, the wheels are heavier. But when the car drives on smooth asphalt, it’s very similar. “
Although he continues to test Formula 1 cars, the 2019 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix appears to be his last start in the world championship. His focus is now on sports car racing.
His 2022 plans are expected to include more sports car races, Kubica intends to decide on his 2022 plans in the fall, following his debut at the Le Mans 24 Hours, where he will compete in a shared car in the LMP2 class for Belgian sports car team WRT the reigning Euroformula Open champion Yifei Ye and the former Formula 2 racing driver Louis Deletraz.
“I’ll decide what I want to do in September. The biggest event of my season will definitely be Le Mans and I would like to experience this unique racing experience first and then we’ll see. “
If the Le Mans debut goes well, the prototype sport’s new hypercar and LMDh classes could be his next career goal.
“Ultimately, endurance racing could be a potential goal. I think there is quite a lot of interest in the new cars, new chassis, and some automakers ahead of the 2023 season. But there is still a long way to go. “
Grand Prix of Styria 2021
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