Robert Kubica believes it is only a matter of practice before he can reach the abilities that many thought would make him a future Formula 1 world champion.
The Polish driver is undertaking a program with the Renault team, with whom he drove before a near-fatal rally crash in February 2011, to determine whether he is capable of making a return to the sport in 2018.
After a first initial test in Valencia last month that was followed up with a more intense day of running at Paul Ricard last week, both of which were largely successful, the next step is believed to be a test in the 2017 car, having only used the 2012 chassis until now, which would come at the post-Hungarian Grand Prix in-season test in just under two weeks.
Much of the recent attention has been on whether Kubica still has the same incredible pace he had before his crash, due to limitations in his right arm, but the now 32-year-old insists he can only keep getting better.
“The differences are mainly in cornering performance, but this is only a matter of habit and work,” he told Italy’s Corriere della Sera.
“If the others can do it, I do not see why I shouldn’t be able to as well. It will take training and preparation but I now know that I can get back to the driver I was before and without false modesty, I can say that my level in 2010 was high!”
The thought of a Kubica comeback would be one of the great stories in recent history due to the incredibly sad circumstances that cut his first career short. Reminiscing on all that has gone on in the past month, the Pole admitted he could not have imagined how far he’s come.
“I realise now that I have managed to take back what fate took from me in that accident in 2011,” he claimed. “If before Renault had the courage and confidence to let me try, let’s say I can match that now.
“When I saw the car ready for me in the box at Valencia, I thought ‘This is the passion I have always felt. This is my life’. At the second test at Le Castellet, the feeling was even clearer.
“I knew I did not have to worry and felt a sense of peace in the cockpit that had been missing for six years. The rest happened almost by magic and remains with me, no matter what happens next.”
Officially Renault themselves are not getting ahead of themselves. There remains a flurry of speculation over the future of embattled driver Jolyon Palmer, most of that due to the Kubica tests but publicly the support remains for the Briton with his ongoing poor luck with reliability blamed for his lack of form.
However, managing director Cyril Abiteboul admits: “We’ll be thinking about 2018 in due course and we are not testing Kubica for PR reasons. He is still fast and has the same energy.”
