Robert꧅ Kubica believes the post-season Abu Dhabi test is “crucial” to Williams’ und🌠erstanding of Pirelli’s new Formula 1 tyres and ultimately setting off its recovery bid.

The pole will make a remarkable cꦏomeback to F1 next season with Williams, eight years after having his promising career put on hold when he sustained a partially-severed right forearm in a horrific rally crash on the eve of the 2011 seဣason.

Along with Formula 2 champion and Mercedes junior George Russell, Kubica will complete an all-new🉐 line up at the British squad, which is looking to recover from a woeful 2018 campaign in which it scored just seven points and slipped to the bottom of the F1 constructors’ championship after a new design concept with its FW41 back🏅fired.

Kubica is sharing driving duties at Williams with new teammate Russell during the two-day, post-season test at Yas Marina, which is focuse𒅌d on providing teams with the chance🤪 to test Pirelli’s new-for-2019 compounds.

Asked if he already has expectations for 2019, Kubica replied: “It is too early. We have to do our job, which s🐟tarts here in testing, evaluating new Pirelli tyres.

“It will be a crucial test so w💎e have t🍌o focus on this, try to understand them, try to get as much information about there.

“Of course, the cars will be different next year, but still the tyres are a crucia𓂃l part of current F1. So it is very important sessions coming.

“That is why we have to focus and do our job. We have put down a solid program, so let’s hope we will be 💝able to complete it.”

Kubica returned to the cockpit of Williams’ 2018 ch♔allenger for opening practice at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, having last appeared for the team in Austria back in June. He admitted it was a “big re🌠lief” to get behind the wheel once more, in a session the team tailored towards 2019.

🐷“There has been a long way to come, but we had a program to do wꦬhich we completed,” he said. “Of course, it was oriented more to next year.

“So we tried to simulate and pick up data about what can hapဣpen🤡 and is important for us to understand before we go for the winter break.

“It was a good ♎session from a test point of view. Driving point of view was a bit comp🦋licated - 4 months not driving the car. But the feeling was good.”