Robert Kubica may not be a Formula One race driver in 2018, but he will be a driver of some sort. Williams has announced that Kubica will replace Paul Di Resta as the team's third driver, which means he's the official reserve and development driver for the team. He'll be running a number of pre-season tests, in season tests, race weekend practice sessions, and will also be doing a lot of simulator work.
Instead of Kubica, William hired 22-year-old Russian Sergey Sirotkin, a GP2 race winner who tested with the team last year. During a test with Kubica, he reportedly was quicker than the former race winner. He also reportedly brings substantial sponsorship with him.
Sirotkin will be paired with 19-year-old Lance Stroll, giving Williams the youngest lineup in Formula One. The hope is that Kubica can act as a mentor to the relatively inexperienced young drivers to make the 2018 season a success. And, who knows, maybe there will still be a chance for Kubica to become a race driver in the future.
Travis was an editor at Road & Track. He was previously the Editor-in-Chief of Jalopnik.com.
