In February 2011 Polish Grand Prix driver Robert Kubica suffered extensive injuries to his right arm in a rally car crash that many believed would end his promising GP career.
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Kubica underwent extensive micro-surgery to reattach his hand, but at the time doubted that he would regain the necessary range of movement to return to driving a Formula One car.
At the time he was contracted to the Renault F1 team who stated that he would be a welcome member of the team in the future if it could be demonstrated that he would still be competitive.
After a period of rehabilitation Kubica returned to rallying in September 2012, winning first time out in a World Rally Championship car.
The following year he contested both the European and WRC 2 championships.
With five wins in the WRC 2 championship he clinched the title and at the same time completed, a number of tests in the Mercedes Benz GP team’s simulator.
The tests were promising but they also revealed that he would have issues on tight circuits such as Monaco.
Last month it was announced that Kubica would drive in a Renault-organised test in their 2012 GP car which went so well that a second test was organised.
The company is clearly very supportive of a possible return to racing evidenced by the comments from Renault’s Sport Racing Managing Director Cyril Abiteboul.
“He was still quick, still consistent and more importantly he still has the enthusiasm he always carried to the team and not only that, there are no obvious roadblocks to his return to Formula One.” he said.
It’s now been announced that the 32-year-old will be given the opportunity to test the current model RS17 Renault F1 car at the Hungaroring circuit next week following this weekend’s Hungarian GP.
There has been speculation that Kubica could be a replacement next year for Renault’s number two driver Jolyan Palmer who is yet to demonstrate the necessary and consistent speed the position demands.
Maybe it’s a long shot, but in his time in F1 between 2006 and 2010 Kubica was recognised as a future champion contesting 76 races with one win and twelve podiums while driving for BMW Sauber and Renault.
Ironically Kubica made his GP debut at this circuit in 2006 after being the BMW Sauber test driver in 2005 and it was a debut that was unexpected.
Team driver Jacques Villeneuve complained in the lead-up to the race of headaches as a result of a crash in the previous German GP and was ruled unfit to race, so Kubica got the nod to replace him.
He qualified ninth and finished a solid seventh, but was then disqualified from the results as the car was found to be underweight.
As the only Polish driver to win a GP it would be great to see him back in the field.
Targa Takes to the hills
The organisers of Targa High Country have released the course details for the four-day event which will be run in the Victorian high country, starting on November 10 and finishing on November 12.
The eighth running of the popular four-day event will follow basically the same course of recent years with a few changes just to keep the anticipated large field on their toes. The cars will pass through Euroa, Whitfield and Eildon.
In an effort to reduce high speeds on long straight sections, speed restriction zones have been included.
These require teams to reduce speed and cover a 400-metre zone in a minimum of twenty seconds without going below 30km/h.
More of these zones have been added and the locations varied from last year so the pressure will be on the navigators to get it right for the driver.
The most significant change is the ten-kilometre extension to the Jamieson stage which will be run at a monster fifty kilometres.
This addition means it is now the most demanding Targa stage of the entire season including the Mount Arrowsmith stage in Tasmania.
