SILVERSTONE -- Renault boss Cyril Abiteboul says Robert Kubica's performance at his second test of a Formula One car continued to bolster his case for a return, though he will not rush into putting the Pole into the team's 2017 car.
Kubica completed his much-anticipated second test at Paul Ricard this week, a session in a modified 2012 car allocated to properly assess whether he is ready to make a return to F1 after six years. The former BMW and Lotus driver has not raced in the series since suffering horrific arm injuries in a rally crash on the eve of the 2011 season.
As with his first test last month, Renault was impressed with how Kubica conducted himself. Despite the encouraging signs Abiteboul does not want to rush into a decision that could put Kubica in a dangerous situation.
When asked if the test proved he is ready to compete, Abiteboul said: "I don't want to say that and I don't want to say yes or no. It's not like a test you are passing at an exam. We've not seen any obvious roadblocks. Having said that, testing in this circumstance and testing into a more modern car is something completely different.
"This situation is complex, we're not doing it from PR purposes -- even though we see it is creating a lot of media expectations. And for us it is not what we are doing, we care so much more for Robert than this."
Kubica is widely regarded as one of the best drivers of the recent generation and was held in high regard by his peers, with Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso previously stating he is one of the sport's lost world champions. His return to testing duties followed successful surgery on his right arm and has led to wild speculation of a return to full-time racing, possibly as early as this year in place of the out-of-form Jolyon Palmer.
Renault has dismissed that possibility, but it seems more likely the French manufacturer would give Kubica a test at the post-Hungarian Grand Prix test at the start of August. That would allow a first taste of the 2017 cars, which have been praised for making driving more challenging than in previous years, something which could present an issue with the Pole's arm. Abiteboul pointed out his tests so far have been in modified older versions of F1 cars and that the team has too little information to make a decision just yet.
"That was second test after a first test, the first test was nothing more than an opportunity for him to get back behind the wheel of a Formula One car. But there is a big reality that it is a Formula One car from 2012 with demo tyres, with V8 engine, normally-aspirated, but it doesn't really match the current F1 car. So whatever we do is not quite representative. In that second test, however, we worked towards what could look like a plan to give both him and us the opportunity to asses his limitations and abilities.
"I can still tell you he's very quick, he's still very consistent and more important he still has this energy and drive and enthusiasm he always had and carried to him and to the team. Really too early to talk about next steps, I don't want to add to speculation, right now the focus is on getting the most out of the overall line-up and package we have and then we will be thinking about 2018 in due course, which is not just now."