Kubica: The last step is the most difficult one

In the wake of his recent test with Williams during the Abu Dhabi post-season test Kubica spoke out for the first time, "I cannot be 100% sure because I think no-one is 100% sure. But I can have confidence and what I was looking for was to get a feeling and belief I can do it and that's the most important."

"I have done a lot. I have proved myself a lot and there are a lot of things which give me a lot of confidence and give me positive answers but the decision is not on my side."

Questions that surround his comeback revolve around his capacity to perform at the highest level, on a constant basis, with the limited use he has in his right arm. His injury has healed some time back, but normal mobility and strength have been curtailed as a result of the freak rally accident in 2011.

Kubica explained, "The situation is not easy with my limitations but I think honestly there were a lot of questions of mine about my limitations and fitness and we should agree in the end - because I have shown - although I have limitations, fitness-wise I am ready and in fact I have never been in such a good shape as I am now."

"Of course I have to work harder and I have to prepare better and in a different way my body and mental strength, but that is part of my life. When you feel there's a good chance to be in a position to do properly the job it's a difficult period."

"The last step is the most difficult one. I've done many of them to arrive where I am and to achieve what I have achieved this year, but the last one is the toughest one. Let's wait and see. It is a challenging way of coming back for me, but the progress I have done in all the tests is giving me good confidence that I will be able to do it."

"Whatever the outcome will be, of course when you are next to it it would be nice but you never know, I want to live day by day. I still keep training, I still keep preparing as [if] I would have a chance."

"There are things which require time because the last time I drove an F1 car was more than six years ago and F1 has changed a lot and you have to get knowledge about things to extract maximum from the car and I have learned a lot from my side and my confidence has gone up."

Williams have the only seat left on the 2018 grid and have several drivers they are considering with Kubica one of them, thus they feel no pressure to make a decision anytime soon.

The Grove team's technical boss Paddy Lowe reiterated to Sky Sports, "We are not placing any particular timescale to it. I know it's getting a lot of attention and Robert is certainly well in there but, as we've said all along, we're open and there are lots of drivers under consideration and we're not giving out any clues at the moment."