Lotus Renault GP has officially stated that Robert Kubica will not be fit enough to return to Formula 1 for the start of the 2012 season. The Pole, who continues to recover from his near-fatal rallying accident of February, is now able to walk freely plus move his hand and elbow, but feels more recuperation is necessary.
Following the crash in which a metal roadside barrier impaled Kubica’s car, the Kraków driver was placed into an induced coma. By the time the F1 season began in Melbourne, there was hope that he could race again before the end of the year, although regaining full movement in his right hand has been a crucial aspect.
“Even if I’ve been working very, very hard over the course of the last few weeks, I came to the conclusion that I am not yet certain to be ready for the 2012 season,” he says. “I have called the team and I have informed them of the situation. This was a difficult decision to make, but it is the most reasonable one.
“I also know that LRGP need to prepare for next year and further extending deadlines would not have been the right thing to do. On a personal level, my recovery is still very encouraging and my doctors keep being impressed. I just need more time, as I want to be 100 percent ready before I commit to anything driving related.
“Finally, I regret not having been able to provide more news and not having appeared in the papers, and I thank my friends of the media for understanding that this has been the best way for me to cope with what has been the most difficult period of my life.”
LRGP has released a statement in which it confirms that a car will be ready for Kubica to test whenever he is able to, stressing that his management has already engaged in talks relating to the 2013 Formula 1 season.
“Everybody in the team is, of course, very disappointed today,” adds Team Principal Eric Boullier. “Robert not driving in Australia at the start of next season is not what we were all hoping for. However, he has taken a very mature decision, acting in the best interests of Lotus Renault GP.
“As a team and as a family, we remain 100 percent behind him and we’ll help as much as we can. A programme composed of simulator testing, single-seater and F1 track time is awaiting him. In the meantime, we will start talking to a few drivers in order to finalise our line-up for next year as soon as possible.
“Robert will take it step-by-step and will jump back in his racing car when he feels it is the right moment to do so. On behalf of all 520 members of the team, I wish him a speedy recovery.”
Kubica’s F1 debut came for BMW at the 2006 Hungarian Grand Prix, achieving a podium finish in Italy just two races later before notching up a career-first pole position and Grand Prix victory at the respective Bahrain and Canadian races of 2008.
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