24/07/2017
NEWS STORY
Renault has revealed that Robert Kubica will drive the RS17 in the post-Hungary GP test.
A brief statement issued by the French team this morning reads as follows:
Following two days of testing with a V8-powered 2012 Formula 1 car, the E20, on June 7 in Valencia, and again on July 12 at Le Castellet, Robert Kubica will drive the R.S.17, on August 2 at the test session taking place at Hungaroring.
"The first two days of testing allowed both Robert and ourselves to gather a great amount of information," said Cyril Abiteboul. "The upcoming session with the R.S.17 at the Hungaroring will allow us all to obtain detailed and precise data in a current car and representative conditions.
"After this test, we will carefully analyse the collected information to determine in what conditions it would be possible for Robert to return to competition in the upcoming years."
Though keen to play down the relevance of the initial test, Renault insisting it was more a matter of a 'reward' for services rendered to the team previously, Kubica insisted that it marked the first step towards a possible return following the rallying crash that almost claimed his life in 2011.
Amidst growing media speculation, further fuelled by Jolyon Palmer's poor results, a second test was arranged, and though, once again, Kubica gave a good account of himself, insisting his chances of a return are as high as 80%, Renault continued to play down the significance of the outings, pointing out that that contemporary F1 cars are entirely different to what the Pole had driven.
The Hungaroring outing, combined with Abiteboul's comments suggest that Renault is taking Kubica a lot more seriously that previously suggested.