After Felipe Massa announced his retirement from the sport for the second time, Kubica became one of the top contenders to take his seat at Williams Martini Racing. He then tested for them at the Yas Marina Circuit following the 2017 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, completing 100 laps in his first test with the team's 2017 FW40. He completed an additional 28 laps the next day and finished seventh fastest, with Williams technical chief Paddy Lowe reporting that "there are no issues around" his injuries, though doubts soon emerged about whether certain factors had made the times look better.