Kubica to be given Alfa Romeo practice run at Styrian GP

The Pole hasn't been in a car since testing in Barcelona in February

Martin Macdonald

Tuesday 7 July 2020 17:18 Updated: 19:53

Robert Kubica will be given his first opportunity to take part in a practice session in the competitive F1 season this weekend when he will get behind the wheel for Alfa Romeo at the Red Bull ring for FP1.

The Pole failed to make the grade at Williams last season and was subsequently left without a team, only for Alfa Romeo to take him on as a reserve/practice driver.

He has already had one opportunity to practice in the 2020 C39 car at testing in Barcelona, and will be given another in the at the Styrian GP weekend, taking place of Antonio Giovinazzi who will return to the car for FP2.

Article continues under video

That outing in Catalunya was all the way back in February, with the start of the season being postponed due to the worldwide pandemic, so it has been a lengthy time away from the car for Kubica, who is aiming to impress with his chance this weekend.

“I am looking forward to returning to action this weekend, especially after the long break the whole world of motorsport had to observe,” Kubica said in an official Alfa press release.

“My objective, as always, is to provide as much data as possible for our engineers and to give them my feedback from within the cockpit.

"This weekend will be quite a new experience for everyone, racing in the same venue we were on just a few days ago, so it will be a matter of refining all the data we collected over the course of the Austrian Grand Prix and testing the adjustments we want to make to the cars.”

Ricciardo explains why some drivers didn't take the kneeRead more

Alfa team principal Frederic Vasseur, meanwhile, is eager to see what feedback the Pole can provide for their 2020 contender.

“I am looking forward to seeing Robert in the car on Friday. A driver with his experience always comes up with valuable feedback and he’ll be able to help us continue learning about our car.

“Robert was with the team last weekend, of course, and so he is fully aware of everything that was discussed in the engineering meetings and during each session: it’ll be a chance for him to experience the car by himself and, armed with that knowledge, help us progress further.”

Last week in the first race of the campaign, Giovinazzi finished ninth in Austria with team-mate Kimi Raikkonen recording a DNF.