Lotus and Kubica have announced Kubica will miss the start of the season. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/formula_one/15853406.stm glad its not completely ruled out and there is a chance he will return. but this delay doesnt sound good though its good its not rushed.
The mention of a test team prepared to help him get back up to speed is promising, however if Benson's analysis is correct and he is obliged to sign with Renault for 2013, that'll be disappointing for him as the way they are going at the moment they don't exactly look like being competitive. It's also likely to rule him out of the Ferrari seat for 2014, unless he really impresses in however many races he gets in 2012 that Ferrari are prepared to either keep Massa on for a one year extension, or find someone else as a stopgap.
I am glad he his taking time to heal his physical and mental shocks after that incident, it is just a shame that he will have even less of an input into the 2012 Renault.
His doctors are fairly confident of his return, he has grip in all fingers and has been driving a road car. As someone who had to spend 8 months in a leg cast I know how long it takes to build muscle-tone and get all the tendons and ligaments back in full working and painless order.
No real suprise to be honest. What is more suprising is the report saying Renault want to tie him down for 2013. A real risk unless they put in a clause to say the contract is void if he can't show he can return in a competitive state.
Gutted about this. To lose such a talent for two seasons now is tragic, even if he's able to return in 2013 he'll never be the driver he would've been with those two years of experience, and he'll have to take time to build up his reputation before he gets a top drive. Ferrari won't risk him unless they've seen he's back to his best.
Yes. I second this. Too true. Some injuries are simple but Kubiça's are far from it. This is a difficult one. As is usually the case when returning from injury, they (Lotus Renault) will try to include such a clause since no-one can be certain of long-term effects. However, the Kubiça side of any contract will try to resist such insecurity. Any such clause will be highly specific in order to demonstrate precisely what constitutes its terms, and any breach of them.
I think Kubica will honor Renault/Lotus where possible, after all they have been paying his usual wage this year even though he didnt race at all. yer Renault had 4 race drivers on thier books this year...no wonder they are in finacial problems.
What kind of specifics Cosi? Something like, 'if he averages X amount of time behind his team mate in quali over the 1st half of the season' or 'X amount of places behind him in the race'?
I fully expect Kubica to return and be as fast as he was before, relative to the car he's driving of course. Early in his come-back he may struggle with fitness towards the end of races, but that won't be long. The doctors have said there is nothing physical that will stop him racing again. It's his arm has been damaged, not his head, and it's head damage that slows drivers down, as they can lose reaction time and hand/eye co-ordination.
interesting, it says he's only unsure he can be ready for the pre-season tests, which means he thinks he could be ready for them, and probably will be ready for the start of the season. And all is not well there, if the auto-sport article is to be believed, Kubica as Alonso Team-mate by mid-season worth a punt?
Well, it's entirely up to Renault and Kubiça to reach mutual agreement, with Renault initially proposing terms. Kubiça could choose to say "no thanks" or to propose modifications to any such conditions; or indeed, a completely different idea - the latter being unlikely to be approved because these things are thoroughly thought through. (Apologies for tongue-twister which also confused my fingers). With a more highly ranked team they may relate it to Championship points, where this is a more realistic expectation, but even this could have sub-clauses to allow for mechanical failure etc. With Renault, your idea could be something they consider; or it could be related to Qualifying position relative to his team mate(s), or finishing position in the race - once again, relative to team mate(s); or even combinations of these things. And yes, it would very likely be time specific for it to be realistic for a phased recovery (allowing for gradual improvement). And as is always the case with contracts, one side may not accept the terms; with the result that they both walk away from the deal. Ultimately, it is simply whatever they agree.
Further to my last, the Autosport article of Forza's link shows the simple things that can go wrong in communication between a driver, his manager and the team they speak to; and of course, there should never be a discrepancy between a driver and his manager. My belief is that this sort of thing seems to be a characteristic of one team more than most others: no prizes for guessing; it's easy when one considers who runs it…
