04/12/2017
NEWS STORY
Robert Kubica admits that the final decision on whether he will make a fairy tale return to F1 next season is out of his hands. Indeed, at that time of year when most of us wonder what Santa might bring, the Pole is hoping for that call from Grove which echoes the word of the Man from Del Monte.
Attending an awards ceremony in London, the Pole, while admitting that he is in better shape than ever before, admitted that he is still not at 100%. Indeed, percentages played a big part in his comments.
Asked if he felt 100% ready for a return, he told BBC Sport: "100%? It depends. I have never been ready 100% even when I have been racing on my, let's say, gold times.
"I have done a lot," he continued. "I have proved myself a lot and there are a lot of things which give me a lot of confidence and give me positive answers but the decision is not on my side.
"Whatever the outcome will be, of course when you are next to it it would be nice but you never know. I want to live day by day. I still keep training, I still keep preparing as if I would have a chance."
His time in the Renault and Williams F1 cars this year marked his first serious track time in a contemporary car since the pre-season test in Valencia in 2011, just days before the rally crash that looked to have ended his career. The Pole admits that the changes over those intervening years will not make his return any easier.
"There are things which require time because the last time I drove an F1 car was more than six years ago," he said. "F1 has changed a lot and you have to get knowledge about things to extract maximum from the car and I have learned a lot from my side and my confidence has gone up."
However, echoing last week's claim that he is not interested in fairy tales, only racing and being competitive, when asked if he really feels he can perform consistently at the highest level, he said: "I cannot be 100% sure because I think no-one is 100% sure. But I can have confidence and what I was looking for was to get a feeling and belief I can do it and that's the most important.
"The situation is not easy with my limitations," he admitted, "but I think honestly there were a lot of questions of mine about my limitations and fitness and we should agree in the end - because I have shown - although I have limitations, fitness-wise I am ready and in fact I have never been in such a good shape as I am now.
"Of course I have to work harder because I have my limitations, and I have to prepare better and in a different way my body and mental strength, but that is part of my life."