Kubica could return to Formula One as Pirelli test driver

By Berthold Bouman

Extraordinary rumours are circulating on the internet and social media: Robert Kubica could make a return to Formula One as Pirelli test driver. The rumours started after a remark of Pirelli test driver Jaime Alguersuari, who said he is very close to returning to Formula One after being ditched by his previous employer Toro Rosso.

This could open the door for Kubica who recently made his racing return by participating in the Ronde Gomitolo di Lana and the Rally San Martino di Castrozza, he won the first event after winning all four stages, but during the second event the Pole crashed two times and had to retire.

The 27-year old ex-BMW Sauber and Renault driver spent the major part of the 2011 recovering from his horrific accident in February 2011 during the Ronde di Andora in Italy, he sustained serious arm and hand injuries and still hasn’t regained all of his hand and arm functions.

Despite his limited mobility, Pirelli would offer him a test role, Pirelli Motorsport Director Paul Hembery disclosed. “We are more likely to work with Robert in rallying I guess, rather than F1, but we will see,’ said Hembery.

And he added, “I haven’t spoken to Robert for some time, but we are working on a few projects that might involve him, so it might be a possibility. I don’t know if he is able to do it at the moment.”

Hembery is confident Kubica can make a Formula One return, and is willing to help him, “He is that type of person if, physically, he could get back in, maybe doing a year with us would put him in a good situation to come back in 2014.

“It would be wonderful if we could do that. We want to continue our success level of helping drivers into F1, and after an F1 drive the Pirelli test deal has to be the best drive in the world.”

Pirelli is currently using a Renault Formula One car to test there tyres, the same car Kubica drove in 2010, so he is very familiar with the car and knows it inside-out. Kubica has not yet reacted on Hembery’s proposal to return as a test driver.