Kubica back in an F1 car

[anonymous-user]

Palmer will be replaced whether Kubica was able or not.

The Hulk has totally destroyed Palmer throughout the year.

Kubica returning would be massive for F1. It would make huge press for Renault, Kubica and F1.

Hopefully he can come back. He was one hell of a driver before the accident.

[MissChief]

As alluded to earlier, I don't think he would pass the mandatory driver evacuation test. Five seconds really isn't very long and he basically has no muscle on his lower right arm left. He won't get a seat with any team.

[Vaud]

MissChief said:

As alluded to earlier, I don't think he would pass the mandatory driver evacuation test. Five seconds really isn't very long and he basically has no muscle on his lower right arm left. He won't get a seat with any team.

Could the FIA make an exemption on disability grounds? Could modifications be made to help him?

[MissChief]

Vaud said:

MissChief said:

As alluded to earlier, I don't think he would pass the mandatory driver evacuation test. Five seconds really isn't very long and he basically has no muscle on his lower right arm left. He won't get a seat with any team.

Could the FIA make an exemption on disability grounds? Could modifications be made to help him?

I'm not sure how unless they either make the test easier or reduce the head protection around him. Which I doubt they'd do.

[Grandad Gaz]

Vaud said:

MissChief said:

As alluded to earlier, I don't think he would pass the mandatory driver evacuation test. Five seconds really isn't very long and he basically has no muscle on his lower right arm left. He won't get a seat with any team.

Could the FIA make an exemption on disability grounds? Could modifications be made to help him?

Like an ejector seat, perhaps?

Seriously, though, I'm sure someone in the motorsport world could come up with a solution. Gordon Murray, Adrian Newey would have no problem.

[anonymous-user]

Would love him back in F1. I was lucky enough to be trackside quite often in 2007 and 2008 and I don't think I have ever seen a driver so 'committed' on every part of every lap.

[angrymoby]

MissChief said:

Vaud said:

MissChief said:

As alluded to earlier, I don't think he would pass the mandatory driver evacuation test. Five seconds really isn't very long and he basically has no muscle on his lower right arm left. He won't get a seat with any team.

Could the FIA make an exemption on disability grounds? Could modifications be made to help him?

I'm not sure how unless they either make the test easier or reduce the head protection around him. Which I doubt they'd do.

depends if detaching the removable padded collar is part of the evacuation rules or not ...afaiaa it's only the steering wheel that can be detached, but it wouldn't take much of a tweak for the FIA to include the collar (seeing as most drivers do this anyways)

& it's not like the 2012 car didn't have that either, so Renault will be more than aware how long it would take him to get out

[HustleRussell]

angrymoby said:

Renault will be more than aware how long it would take him to get out

Renault have announced that Kubica is not in the frame for a 2018 drive and that giving him a test was a favour to an old friend who wanted to assess his capabilities and limitations in single seaters.

Does Robert not look somewhat... heavy compared to the current crop of twenteenagers as well?

[angrymoby]

HustleRussell said:

angrymoby said:

Renault will be more than aware how long it would take him to get out

Renault have announced that Kubica is not in the frame for a 2018 drive and that giving him a test was a favour to an old friend who wanted to assess his capabilities and limitations in single seaters.

Does Robert not look somewhat... heavy compared to the current crop of twenteenagers as well?

both points covered by...

"But at some point we will have to review options. If by then, Robert becomes an option, we can have a look. As we speak, he's not on the list. He has many more things he has to accomplish so that he could be on the list." -Abiteboul

[Munter]

angrymoby said:

both points covered by...

"But at some point we will have to review options. If by then, Robert becomes an option, we can have a look. As we speak, he's not on the list. He has many more things he has to accomplish so that he could be on the list." -Abiteboul

not really Abiteboul said:

Oi Rob. Less Pies eh... More exercise.

[thegreenhell]

Munter said:

not really Abiteboul said:

Oi Rob. Less Pies eh... More exercise.

"Fewer", but we'll forgive him that as he's foreign.

[Cold]

Kubica will be appearing at this year's Goodwood Festival of Speed - which is only a couple of weeks away now.

[Supersam83]

Robert Kubica: Ex-F1 driver to test again for Renault

Robert Kubica is to test again for Renault as he and the team explore whether he could make a comeback to Formula 1 from life-changing injuries.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/formula1/40492882

Seems like Palmer will be sweating more now. His time in an F1 seat looking like it's coming to an end

[geeks]

I dont buy him not passing an evac test, I know drivers who are in wheelchairs able to pass the MSA one from a saloon car which is much harder!

[Krikkit]

The article above says Renault would need to modify the steering wheel so that all paddles + buttons are LH-side only, they also say they're worried about his right arm for sharp turns, so it sounds like undoing his belts+steering wheel in one quick moment might be off the cards.

[Supersam83]

CraigyMc said:

It was a one-off.
The team were in Valencia to give Sergey Sirotkin a run - Kubica was given the chance of a day in the car purely because everything was there anyway.

They did short runs, long runs, qualifying sims and he was faster then their reserve driver Sergei Sirotkin.

Also he did simulator work for Renault with the latest 2017 car simulation and was faster then Hulkenburg (according to Renault team insiders) so looking like they are really evaluating him for a F1 race seat.

[patmahe]

Supersam83 said:

CraigyMc said:

It was a one-off.
The team were in Valencia to give Sergey Sirotkin a run - Kubica was given the chance of a day in the car purely because everything was there anyway.

They did short runs, long runs, qualifying sims and he was faster then their reserve driver Sergei Sirotkin.

Also he did simulator work for Renault with the latest 2017 car simulation and was faster then Hulkenburg (according to Renault team insiders) so looking like they are really evaluating him for a F1 race seat.

If that's genuinely true then that is very exciting stuff, Hulkenberg is no slouch (ok it was only the simulator) but in fairness what would they have to lose by giving him and Sirotkin a couple of Friday runs in Palmer's car? Would be interesting to see how the three's times would compare. It's not like Palmer is showing signs of turning it around is it?

[Crafty_]

All the 'he was faster than x' has not been substantiated. The rumour was he was 30 seconds faster on a race sim. To my knowledge it hasn't been confirmed. If there is any truth in it there could be 100s of reasons why it's the case.

He and the team are going to need to present a good case to the FIA to get him a super licence. He doesn't qualify for one. They do allow for 'special cases' which obviously would be, but i think they will want to see more than a couple of tests.

[thegreenhell]

geeks said:

I dont buy him not passing an evac test, I know drivers who are in wheelchairs able to pass the MSA one from a saloon car which is much harder!

Indeed, I'm sure that a professional team like Renault wouldn't even put him in the car if they thought that he wouldn't be able to get himself out safely. Even though it was just a private test, they are a high profile team competing in a high profile FIA championship, and they just wouldn't take a risk on something like that if they thought it was a problem.

[thegreenhell]

Kubica says "80-90 percent" chance of F1 return

https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/f1-kubica-retur...