Robert Kubica has stressed the need for Williams to be "realistic" with its goals for the 2019 Formula 1 season, saying it cannot be distracted by the per🐼formance and advancements made by its midfield rivals.

Williams was forced to miss the first two🧸-and-a-half days of pre-season testing in Barcelon💖a earlier this week due to delays in the build of its new FW42 car, with Kubica only getting his first run-out on Thursday morning.

The delayed debuted was a fresh setback for Williams following a difficult 2018 seasܫon that saw it slump to the foot of the constructors' championship, at a time when F1's midfield is growing in strength amid closer ties to front-running teams.

Speaking in Barcelona, Kubica 🌜said Williams could not be distracted by the strength of its rivals, instead prioritising its own operations heading into the new campaign.

"It looks like the field is veꦕry strong, which I think is a bit norm🍃al looking in which technical directions a few people are going," Kubica said.

"B😼ut we have to concentrate on ourselves. We have to target a realistic target, and we have to target a smooth start to the season. It didn’t really happen, but we have to go forward and we have to make sure we have a smooth start to the season.

"I think the team needs positive days, whatever the perform🐼ance will be fi🤡rst we need to make sure we are doing our best and then we can concentrate on performance.

"We don’t have to look too 🎐much at the others, we have🌟 to make sure we do our best and we’ll see.”

Kubica will return to𒆙 the 🦹Williams FW42 car for the start of the second F1 pre-season test on Tuesday in Barcelona, having also completed a filming day on Friday to try and make up for some of the lost running.