‘Mentor not the right word’ for Kubica

Williams technical boss Paddy Lowe has said Robert Kubica is not there to be a "mentor", but the Pole is happy to help the other drivers if they need some advice.

Kubica has returned to Formula 1, but not in the way he was expecting after being named Williams reserve and development driver, missing out on the full-time seat to Sergey Sirotkin.

And Lowe has explained further as to what Kubica's exact role will be with the team.

"I don't think mentor's the right word," said Lowe.

"The development is the key point. He will do a lot of work in the simulator [and] in the car itself. We’re giving him time in pre-season testing, so he will be familiar with the car rather than sitting on the bench."

While Lowe does not really view Kubica as a mentor to Lance Stroll and Sirotkin, the Pole is willing to help the team in any way he can.

"In the simple way, it will be 'Reserve and Development Driver’ but, in a more practical way, it's a bit of a different role than this wording," added Kubica.

"It will give a bigger boost to the team because I could give more information and feedback about the car, and better correlation [with] the simulator, which is becoming more important every year.

"I will attend most races, if not all, trying to help the team. But, in the end, the two drivers are in the car. If they need some help, I will be more than happy to give it to them."