Robert Kubica Is Back in F1

I'm not a Stroll basher but it is of my opinion that the only two people he can "actually" beat are the two Saubers

 

Warewolf is better than him IMO

 

As said by Marc above, and as printed by Auto-Hebdo, Renault is not only watching Ocon, but clearly targeting him, and makes no mystery about this.

Rgds

 

Ocon has a multi-year contract with Force India. FI is always game to sell a driver contract for $$ so it's possible, but would be unlikely for a team to want to buy out the contract of a rookie.

Anyway he's overrated imo. He'll be a solid and reliable performer like Massa or Webber with a long career in F1 but he's just matching Perez who while also solid and reliable hardly has super speed. Journeyman drivers tend to not have their contracts bought out.

Lando Norris seems pretty great at first impression.

 

Ocon used to beat Max V in the lower formulae. He is slowly edging ahead of Perez (who is very quick himself but one of the 2 or 3 real unpleasant brats with Magnussen). Ocon has finished every race and almost always in the points how many rookies do that?
I have a lot of flaws but always spotted talent, I noticed Senna was special in...1978 when he had his first kart race in Europe, the World championship at the Le Mans, he was known as da Silva then. Same for Schu, Ham, Max (Lauda said he was the greatest talent in 20 years so it is beyond a doubt, I would point out respectfully that he knows a bit better than the average forum dweller) and now Norris. Leclerc as has already been stated is very good but his rivals in GP2 are not that good so he is getting overrated. Giovi-crashi however....

MS

 

7Many people underrate Perez but he is very good, he was always a match for Button and a match for Hulkenberg, and i believe the Hulk to bebetter than Bottas....make no mistake, Ocon is the real deal.

 

I like the guy.

He makes no waves but quietly keep scoring points for Force India, the Cindarella team of F1.

 

I suppose Renault gave Kubica a chance to test their car, to see if he could attract some sponsorship of his own.

Personally, I think he is too old to make a come back. These days, only teenagers attract attention and grab sponsorship support.

Also, compared to the hotshoes coming from GP2, Kubica hasn't won anything on 4 wheels for a long time, and represents a gamble, IMO. Can Renault afford that?

 

I like him too. He'd be a great #2 driver at Ferrari.

 

So what race do they put Kubica in the car?

I think it's going to happen this season... they've used valuable test time with him in the car... and absolutely no downside to it. Give him one race weekend and see what happens.

 

I don't know about that. These machines taken some real work to drive and there is no replacement for experience. That's why Massa was brought back to Williams and not some talented GP2 driver. As good as a young GP2 driver might be, they can't just be brought in and expected to perform like Verstappen or Vettel.

 

Tbf Martini wouldn't allow two under 25yr old to drive for Williams too

 

Why?

Drinking age is 21 or less

 

Massa hadn't left F1, so comparison with Kubica isn't valid.

There are a few GP2 graduates would could do better than Kubica, IMO.

To go ahead, always look in the future, I say, never in the past.

 

It's their condition to Williams

 

Alonso Kubica 2018 Renault works team for the championship

 

A mini interview from Kubica talking about his progress. A really great driver..

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ex89L--OZU&list=WL&index=31[/ame]

 

Kimi was driving rally cars for some time while off F1, just as Robert has, then jumped back into F1 like he was never gone. When you have it, you have it. I can explain exactly how old aunt Matilda made the pie, but you'd have to ask her to divulge the why.

 

If Kubica was able to give the team valuable feedback during the testing process, that might be good enough reason to give him a seat.

 

AUGUST 9, 2017

Kubica had no problem with 2017 car says engineer



A Renault engineer has raised expectations Robert Kubica might indeed be heading back to F1.

Dozens of Polish media and thousands of his fans cheered the 32-year-old as he got to grips with Renault's 2017 car in the recent Hungary test, notwithstanding his permanent injuries sustained in a crash six years ago.

Ricardo Penteado, a leading Renault engineer, said any doubts about Kubica's ability to drive a modern F1 car evaporated at the test.

"You can forget that question -- he has no problem to drive the hybrid cars," Penteado told Brazil's Globo.

Kubica's best lap in Hungary was competitive, but Penteado said the 2008 Canadian grand prix winner could also have been quicker.

"The most important thing is that Kubica did not have fuel for just one lap," he said.

"The other thing that stands out is the number of laps he did -- the equivalent of two races," Penteado added. "It was 40 degrees and Robert did not get out of the car complaining of exhaustion."

Finally, Penteado said Kubica was able to drive the Renault with only minimal changes to the layout of the steering wheel.

"He had no difficulty," he said. "We asked for a lot of changes from him via the steering wheel, and he did everything within the normal time."

 

Bye, bye Palmer....

 

AUGUST 11, 2017

Rosberg physio backs Kubica comeback



Yet another respected figure in the F1 paddock has backed Robert Kubica's return to F1.

Last year, Daniel Schlosser was Nico Rosberg's physiotherapist as the now retired Mercedes driver raced to the title.

Now, Schlosser works with Force India tester Nikita Mazepin, but it's former grand prix winner Kubica that he publicly backs to be capable of immediately racing in F1.

Kubica tested Renault's 2017 car in Hungary recently and Schlosser said he thinks the 32-year-old's permanently injured right arm should be no obstacle to his return.

"He still has very good muscles in his right arm -- only the volume is not so great," he told Sport Bild.

Some have expressed surprise that Kubica is still able to drive well with such a visibly-damaged arm, but Schlosser is not among them.

"Nico (Rosberg), for example, always had a lot of tension in his wrists, so he had to train his arms heavily. But other drivers are lighter on the steering due to having a different driving technique.

"Nick Heidfeld was one of them, and probably also Kubica," Schlosser explained. "They never had to train as much as the others."

As for how Kubica can negotiate tight left hand corners now that his right arm is compromised, he answered: "Instead of pressing with the right, you can pull with the left. And depending on the technique, this can even be more efficient."

And so from the evidence seen so far, Schlosser thinks Kubica can return to F1.

"In Hungary, he ran a very difficult programme in high temperatures, which was hard for some young drivers. Anyone who can handle that can also handle a grand prix," he said.

 

Well...Renault has just publicly stated that they are still keen on keeping Jolyon Palmer, "if he can raise his game somewhat".

Rgds

https://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/131198/renault-palmer-can-still-save-2018-seat

 

Pay Drivers are in vogue.

Just ask Monica, after she was sacked for not wanting to keep Marcus Ericsson.

 

..Only if they're stupid.....there is no possible turning around....last year he was slower than Magnussen, this year he loses m ore than half a second per lap to Hulkenberg...if what they want is a slow driver than that's fine, Palmer is a safe bet!