Haas team boss, Guenther Steiner believes he is close to signing Robert Kubica as a simulator driver for 2020.

The Pole recently announced that he will not be continuing with Williams beyond the end of this year, and while unable to shed light on his next move has made clear that he does not want to turn his back on F1 entirely.

For some time Kubica has been linked with a test role, most likely at Haas, and speaking to reporters in Mexico, team boss, Guenther Steiner admitted that he is in talks with the Pole.

"We were speaking about a role in our team and we need to develop the simulator still," Steiner told reporters. "We are at a decent point but we need to make the next step as well.

"He is for sure one of the most qualified to do that. That's what we're discussing."

However, Kubica cast doubt on the move, which has led to speculation that Haas, alongside his test and simulator driver for its F1 operation, could offer him a race seat elsewhere.

"I think I was pretty clear when I decided in Singapore and I answered the question 'what is my goal', my goal would be to race," said the Pole. "And from what I know, Gunther is not in a position to offer me this, so of course there are some chances as you can imagine to get me involved in some other roles in the F1 paddock.

"But first of all, I would like to get on top of what is the most important for me, is to race, and then see once this is sorted out what would be possible for the future.

"As I said also, I hardly see myself just being closed in a dark room and doing laps in the simulator. I'm not excluding it, but it would have to be a combined thing with some other stuff.

"That's why probably also it's taking a bit more time, and all the parts, they have to fit together, which is not easy," he admitted.

Meanwhile, the Pole was keen to play down talk of tension in his relationship with his current team, Williams, following comments he and his sponsor Orlen have made in recent weeks, particularly following his retirement from the Russian Grand Prix.

"There is no tension," he insisted. "The situation is not easy, and I have a good relationship with the team.

"What happens is not affecting how is my relationship with the people I am working with," he added. "We are all in the same boat, and we are all understanding very well our situation, although we have probably sometimes different points of view.

"I have been in the sport long enough and in different situations that I understand also a team point of view. That's why probably sometimes it would be easier just to talk instead of doing this differently.

"As I said, I don't think our relationship is any different to what it was before, as I have big respect of the people who are working there to make it work.

"Of course, sometimes we are limited with the tools we are having, but this is how it is, and probably I have even more respect because I know how is the situation, and that is why the people, they are not giving up and the guys are pushing really hard. They really are doing an amazing job for what we are having.

"I never questioned the team," he insisted, "I just questioned their way of deciding things.

"We are all on the same boat. I think I showed many times, not only in this season, that I think I'm the guy who understands the sport pretty well, and not only from a driver point of view."

Check out our Friday gallery from Mexico City, here.