Kubica and di Resta face Williams test competition

Robert Kubica’s potential return to Formula 1 could move a step closer if he impresses during a two-day test with Williams, while Paul di Resta is also expected to be given a chance to stake his claim for a 2018 race seat.

It is understood the Polish driver, who has not raced in F1 since 2011 after suffering a horrific right arm injury in a rally crash which left him with only partial use of the arm, will run a one-day test at Silverstone in Williams’s 2014-specification car.

After the private test at Silverstone, the British team aims to run a two-day test at the Hungaroring with Kubica and di Resta handed a day each in the car.

Kubica tested for Renault on three occasions during the summer but the French manufacturer opted to drop its pursuit of the ex-F1 driver while securing Carlos Sainz Jr for 2018 from Red Bull.

Williams is assessing its options for 2018 alongside Lance Stroll, with current driver Felipe Massa in the hunt with Kubica and di Resta. The British driver filled in for Massa during the Hungarian Grand Prix after he withdrew due to illness and despite his debut outing in the FW40 coming in qualifying he impressed by lapping just 0.7s off of Stroll.

It is believed Massa and Kubica are the current front-runners for the 2018 race seat with Williams wishing to assess the physical condition of the Polish driver during the tests to ensure he can remain fit and fast throughout a race distance, with the test also providing a chance to di Resta.

Despite opting to retire at the end of last year, Massa made a dramatic U-turn for Williams after Valtteri Bottas switched to Mercedes as the retiring Nico Rosberg’s replacement. Massa is eager to stay in F1 for 2018 with the British team stalling on negotiations in order to assess its other options.