The hype surrounding Kubica’s recent F1 tests with Renault has been absolutely huge, but that isn’t particularly surprising – as so many people want to see him return to racing.
Well, Renault now says the Polish driver could make a comeback in the future, as there are no obvious roadblocks in his way.
Team boss Abiteboul said that after Kubica’s second Renault F1 test, which took place earlier this week at Paul Ricard, as speculation continues to build about a possible 2018 seat.
Abiteboul is definitely being cautious at the moment. But when asked if Kubica has shown signs of being able to race in F1, he replied:
“I would not say that – because I don’t want to say yes or no. It is not like a test that you are passing as an exam. But we have not seen any obvious roadblocks.”
He added that Kubica has proved he is still very fast, but pointed out the 2008 Canadian GP winner testing a 2012 car is very different to the new era of machines that have debuted this season:
“Testing in this circumstance and testing in a modern car are something completely different. Again, this situation is complex – we are not doing it for PR purposes even though we see it is creating a lot of media expectation and focus. That is not what we are doing, we care so much for Robert than this.
“What I can tell you is he is still quick, he is still very consistent and more importantly he has this energy and this drive, this enthusiasm that he has always had. It is too early to talk about next steps, I don’t want to add to speculation. Right now, the focus is on getting the most out of the overall line-up and package we have. Then we will think about 2018 in due course, which is not now.”
We’d love to see Kubica return to F1 and it’s encouraging to hear Renault say there are no obvious reasons why he couldn’t. Whether it happens or not, we’ll have to wait and see.
