3
Medical specialists will examine Robert Kubica before he is granted an FIA super license. That is the news from Abu Dhabi, the 2017 season finale that is being attended by FIA president Jean Todt.
Seven years after almost losing his right arm in a rallying crash, former BMW and Renault driver Kubica is now on the cusp of signing a deal to return to F1 next year with Williams.
"Yes, we are working with him now to assess whether his past injuries will affect his ability to perform in formula one," Williams boss Paddy Lowe said in Abu Dhabi.
Kubica, 32, will test Williams' 2017 car next week: "I would say that until now there have been no problems," said Lowe. "Let's see what happens next week. Williams is considering other candidates and we will not make our decision this weekend or even next week."
That could be because the FIA needs to agree that Kubica, who has limited use of his arm, is fit and safe to return: "We have relevant experts and I have no doubt that all necessary checks at every level will be done if the situation demands it," said FIA president Todt. "The doctors would decide if he gets a super license."
But even on a commercial level, Kubica's chances appear strong. Blick, a Swiss newspaper, claims the Pole would bring Polish oil company Lotos with him as a sponsor. However, Williams will also test Renault reserve Sergey Sirotkin in Abu Dhabi next week, who is backed by the lucrative Russian programme SMP Racing.
Lowe said of the Russian driver: "We have not worked with Sergey before, so let's see what this leads to -- a short or a long-term cooperation. In any case, I think he is an interesting driver."
But Toto Wolff, who is pushing Williams to take Mercedes junior Pascal Wehrlein, insists that Kubica is the clear favourite: "I think it is clear that Robert is the priority at Williams," he told Auto Bild. "I think he deserves the opportunity, even if there is a small chance that it will not work for him. But nobody wants to see that."
Grand Prix of BelgiumLocal time
Grand Prix of BelgiumLocal time
Bahrain International Circuit - Winter testing
M. Verstappen
C. Sainz jr
C. Leclerc
Bahrain
Bahrain
Bahrain International Circuit
Bahrain
Bahrain International Circuit
Saudi Arabia
Jeddah Street Circuit
Australia
Albert Park
Japan
Circuit Suzuka
United States of America
Miami International Autodrome
Monaco
Monte Carlo
Canada
Gilles Villeneuve
Spain
Circuit de Catalunya
Austria
Red Bull Ring
United Kingdom
Silverstone
Hungary
Hungaroring
Belgium
Spa-Francorchamps
Netherlands
Circuit Zandvoort
Italy
Monza
Azerbaijan
Baku City Circuit
Singapore
Marina Bay Street Circuit
United States of America
Circuit of the Americas
Mexico
Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez
Brazil
Interlagos
United States of America
Las Vegas Street Circuit
United Arab Emirates
Yas Marina Circuit
0 members have this team as their favourite
Tweets about Susie Wolff
600,989 comments on Mercedes 56 members have this team as their favourite Tweets about Mercedes
Replies (3)
Login to replyBarron
Posts: 625
I thought he’d already passed his FIA medicals? Seems daft to go through all this testing and then find out you’re not medically fit. Haven’t they got that ass about face?
Rindtchamp
Posts: 304
ahh.. so that's how Todt will keep Robert out of F1.
Barron
Posts: 625
Why would he do that?