Williams explains why it parked Kubica in Russia
The Williams Formula 1 team has confirmed that a wheel retention issue caused George Russell’s accident in the Russian GP – and reiterated that a lack of spares triggered the decision to park the car of teammate Robert Kubica.

Russell crashed on lap 27 in Sochi, shortly after making a pitstop. The team decided to call Kubica in and retire him a lap later, citing the need to conserve parts. Kubica’s sponsor PKN Orlen has subsequently queried the reason for retiring the Polish driver’s car, while hinting that it believes that the team may have breached its contractual obligations.
Read Also:
However, Williams made it clear today that following Russell’s heavy crash with Romain Grosjean in Singapore, the Englishman’s subsequent Sochi incident left it concerned about having enough current spares for Suzuka. Williams says that there should be no repeat of the issue that sent Russell off the road in Russia.
“We found an issue with the wheel nut retainer on George’s car, which led to the front-right wheel not sitting perfectly,” said senior race engineer Dave Robson. “This caused a lock-up under braking. The design is very mature and well-proven. The remaining inventory will be inspected thoroughly, and we do not anticipate a repeat of the issue.
“Unfortunately, we were forced to retire Robert’s car due to the amount of accident damage we have sustained in the Singapore-Russia back-to-back races in order to protect ourselves going into the next events.
“The team has worked extremely hard to ensure race quantities have improved ahead of Japan and the final races.”
Read Also:

Previous article
Explained: How McLaren and Mercedes got back together
Next article
F1 insists "no serious discussions" with new teams

About this article
Series | Formula 1 |
Drivers | Robert Kubica |
Teams | Williams |
Author | Adam Cooper |
Williams explains why it parked Kubica in Russia
Trending
The Silver Arrows Story: Mercedes W09
Scuderia Ferrari Filming Day Backstage Footage
Back to Work | Valtteri Bottas' 2021 Seat Fit
F1 Explained | Mercedes Power Unit
The mantra Ocon must follow to challenge Alonso at Alpine
OPINION: It's been an uneasy ride for Esteban Ocon since his F1 comeback - and fresh challenges lie in wait as he's joined by double world champion Fernando Alonso in the newly rebranded Alpine team. STUART CODLING sets out a roadmap to success…
Why Haas is willing to sacrifice its 2021 F1 season
Every Formula 1 team is facing the same difficult decision this season: how do you split precious aero development time between the current car and the all-new 2022 project?
The big questions of F1 2021 - Karun Chandhok
After an unprecedented season last year, there are plenty of questions and storylines for the upcoming Formula 1 campaign. Sky Sports F1 pundit Karun Chandhok gives his verdict.
How McLaren F1’s new investors have already made an impact
The deal McLaren concluded with MSP Sports Capital last year which will help the cash-strapped Formula 1 team pay for much-needed infrastructure upgrades, also points toward the future for F1 itself, says GP Racing's Stuart Codling.
Why Verstappen isn't interested in the hype game
In a pre-season where Red Bull has been unusually quiet, Max Verstappen has also been guarded about the team's fortunes in 2021. Even after trying the RB16B for the first time at Silverstone, the Dutchman was careful to manage expectations
The pros and cons of F1's 2021 rule changes
In the strategy for grand prix racing's future, 2021 represents a significant step towards the goal of closer racing and a more level playing field. That's the theory behind the latest raft of changes, but will they have the desired effect?
What Red Bull is trying to hide with its RB16B launch
Red Bull made no secret of the fact its 2021 F1 car is an evolution of its predecessor, but in keeping the same foundations while hiding some tightly-guarded updates with its RB16B, the team aims to avoid suffering the same pitfalls of previous years
How Albon plans to fight his way out of Red Bull limbo
Alex Albon has faced the media for the first time since he lost his Red Bull drive at the end of 2020 and dropped out of a Formula 1 race seat altogether. He has a history of bouncing back from setbacks, so here's what he must do to rise again