Rosberg ‘working on Kubica’s return to F1’

2017 F1 season

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Robert Kubica’s potential return to Formula One now has the backing of the current world champion and one of his former rivals.

Nico Rosberg announced on social media he is working to help bring Kubica back to F1.

“Excited to be working with Robert and his return to F1,” said Rosberg. “He and Lewis [Hamilton] were the fastest I raced against.”

Kubica tested for Renault on several occasions this year. However the team is widely expected to hire Carlos Sainz Jnr to partner Nico Hulkenberg next year, leaving no space for their former driver.

Rosberg stunned Formula One by retiring from the sport after winning the championship with Mercedes last year. Kubica has previously tested a Mercedes DTM car and driven their simulator.

Mercedes announced on Wednesday that Valtteri Bottas will remain with the team for 2018, meaning they have no gaps in their driver line-up until 2019.

In July Mercedes executive director Toto Wolff said he “would really enjoy seeing [Kubica] back in Formula One.”

“He deserves that. He is one of the talents that wasn’t able to show what he could can do. He had that one win, he was just coming up and then he had this freak accident in a rally.”

Kubica last raced in F1 seven years ago. At the beginning of 2011 he suffered serious injuries to his right arm and the right-hand side of his body in a rally crash.

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Keith Collantine
Lifelong motor sport fan Keith set up RaceFans in 2005 - when it was originally called F1 Fanatic. Having previously worked as a motoring...

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28 comments on “Rosberg ‘working on Kubica’s return to F1’”

  1. I really hope Williams get him onboard, would be such a nice story that could play very well for them in term of performances.

    1. It seems like a win-win, to me. Massa has had his day now. Stroll can help cover the cost for a potentially (still) world class driver in Kubica.

      Give him a season to see what he can do, perhaps? Can’t be any more average than Massa, no offence to the chap.

  2. the next important step forward
    I hope that this is done now
    bring the man home, Merc boys, please

  3. How exactly is he helping? Tutoring, simulator times, that Kubica can match and beat, showing current champion level?

    1. He’s obviously brokering meetings and representing him. They don’t have access to someones random simulator.

      1. Actually I can imagine they might be working in a Mercedes simulator at times too, as well as maybe doing fitness etc @offdutyrockstar – afterall Toto tried to get Kubica signed for DTM before the company quit that!

        1. @bascb no chance mate, why would Mercedes allow a driver they have no intention of signing access to their facilities and simulator? Rosberg is one of the most well connected men in the paddock right now and he has made clear that he has fully signed off driving duties for the foreseeable future he hasn’t suddenly decided to become a driver trainer i’d bet good money on it.

          This isn’t a Rocky movie!

          1. Didn’t a team already offer Billy Monger a session in a simulator? Regardless, doing a simulator session isn’t that far off IMO, but I guess we disagree.

            Since Rosberg worked really hard on his fitness, his mental fitness and everything around the racing to be able to beat Lewis, he certainly has know how to pass on. And passing on such knowledge is quite a rewarding feeling, so why not.
            And it has nothing to do with a movie about boxing.

          2. Billy Monger was a young man who just lost his legs and im sure every team on the grid offered him something by way of a feel good story for the sport in general, he spent the British GP weekend with Lewis and he isn’t actively pursuing an F1 drive with other teams so its pretty far off the situation you envisage.

            Rosberg has nothing to ‘pass on’ to Robert Kubica, he raced in Formula One for years, secured a Ferrari drive, won grand prix, earned the respect of Alonso and Hamilton, the guy needs some doors opened in the paddock and some conversations to happen, he doesn’t need a guy who was quit while he was ahead to teach him anything.

            And the Rocky comment was a joke, in reference to the training montage bit of the movie which some people seem to think is going on here.

    2. It could even include current day knowledge about how to optimize the car during the race to get the most out of it. Rosberg was quite good on the “fiddling with the settings” bit!

      1. Mate you’re really clutching at straws here. So Rosberg is now teaching Kubica how to set up a theoretical car for a theoretical drive for a theoretical debut. Are they sitting around playing F1 2017?

        1. @bascb

          “Nico is working in a managerial and ambassadorial capacity for Robert”

          https://youtu.be/ZCz8uTTJvd8

    3. Current F1 world champion and potential Mercedes FE manager will have some good contacts, and some political weight behind him.

  4. If he can do it, I would think Kubica would be a bit of a gamble for Williams but certainly something quite exciting. The question is, what support can he bring, how many points can we expect him to bring in and how does that compare to Palmer (and maybe to Massa, but Felipe doesn’t bring a budget anymore since Brazil is in the dolldrums).

    1. @bascb
      Williams signing Kubica would certainly be a good fit. Although Robert’s competitiveness is a little bit of an unknown, it’s entirely possible that he could match Massa’s pace and probably be quicker than Stroll as well. If Rosberg can maybe help him get some more tests with different F1 teams, at least it would give the entire paddock an idea of whether he’s still got ‘F1 pace’ in him.

      Another team that should be looking at Kubica is Haas. It just seems like the Haas drivers aren’t particularly good at taking the team forward or themselves forward for that matter.

      I still believe in Robert. If anyone can defy the odds, it’s him.

    2. Well @bascb I may be biased in favor of Kubica no doubt, but as an educated guess I’d say that he – as well as a number of others – would put in better times than venerable Felipe. I’m guessing also that the question mark over Kubica for prospective teams is whether he can be consistently fast over the course of a season and how he would fare in wheel to wheel action. Personally at this point given all we’ve been hearing I’ll be disappointed if we don’t see him back, so fingers crossed.

  5. Rosberg might help persuade Williams to sign Kubica. I hope it happens. Rosberg raced for Wiliams, and there is the Mercedes engines… if not Mercedes Formula E team would be realistic.

  6. Would be much better to sign Palmer… this polish/german cocktail should let the british team have their british driver… KUB is too old now and Palmer much better than we think – give him updates and a finishing car and he is ok..

    1. Thanks for your contribution, johnathan.

    2. Have you not noticed that the British team in question already has a German engine? Internationalism is one of the greatest parts of F1 racing. Besides, it’s better to have a tasty “Polish/German cocktail” than a lukewarm and flat English lager. Palmer has had plenty of time to deliver, and he has not proven himself particularly worthy of his place in F1.

    3. Palmer much better than we think – give him updates and a finishing car and he is ok

      You forgot to give him some pace, racing aggression and consistency.

  7. Well, I really like Kubica, and always was a fan, but on the other hand, I don’t think he will come back as a driver.
    As the Alonso – Williams/Renault deal is off the table (Renault getting Sainz, Alonso staying at McLaren) his sole opportunity would be Williams, where I don’t see Stroll wanting him as his teammate, as any time KUB beats him(which is a high possibility these days), it would make hell of a lot bad press. But he still has a playboyish charm, what could work out nicely for Martini’s PR and advertising. (Not so for Massa, as he has more of a daddy charm)
    The other empty seat would be of course Torro Rosso, but with a reckless Kvyat, and the Honda engines, it wouldn’t be a tempting place, and I can imagine Red Bull’s intention to put there one of their junior drivers, as they are getting quite impatient with the halt of any promotion up the lines in the last 3-4 years…
    Sauber is as out of the question as Ferrari and Mercedes (&RBR), as they will be a kinda junior team for Scuderia.
    Force India will stay with Ocon & Perez, I think, as Perez can’t go anywhere else, and when they don’t crash into each other, they deliver.
    Well the only place remaining is Haas, where they seem to be fond of Grosjean and Magnussen, tho I don’t know how long contracts have been made there.

  8. From a “beggars can’t be choosers” perspective, I’d hope Kube would take any offer presented for a full-time ride. I think Williams would be a great fit and I don’t see Stroll having an issue (or the clout if he does) with Kube as a teammate. I’d guess most people familiar with F1, Stroll included, would rank Kube higher than Massa so getting beaten by an older Massa vs a < 100% Kube is probably the same thing.

  9. Ok, people. Kubica seems to be a good guy and was a promising F1 driver. But how are his racing abilities nowadays. Just let it go.

    1. He deserves to get a chance in few races. Then we can let it go.

  10. Look at his arm!!! Who’s gonna hire him? Kubica was a fighter but it’s all over saddly!
    Kubica’s arm photo from Polish website: https://www.wprost.pl/_thumb/c8/45/2119c8f5282d49253d8cabc53858.jpeg

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