Robert Kubica should dare to dream

A once fantastical notion edged closer to reality last week when Robert Kubica set foot in a Lotus E20, and while five-year old machinery, the magnitude of the occasion cannot be overstated, as the Pole confessed to designs on a “proper comeback.”

Kubica was prematurely ripped from Formula One on that fateful January day in 2011, and the immediate prospect of a then 26-year-old returning to the wheel appeared devastatingly remote.

Lore has it that Kubica was destined for a future at Ferrari, and considering Jules Bianchi’s subsequent tragic passing, the Prancing Horse has been deprived of multiple talents in recent years.

That he recovered from a partially amputated arm alongside numerous accompanying injuries to compete in the World Rally Championship was an achievement in itself, yet an unattainable dream became eminently tangible when Kubica successfully completed a 115-lap test at Renault’s behest.

It was appropriate that the Enstone outfit which employed Kubica in his final season on the grid orchestrated the outing, though it represented so much more than a feel-good publicity stunt once it became apparent that the 2008 Canadian Grand Prix victor was at ease despite his limitations.

Kubica’s initial sentiment of “mixed feelings, I am proud with what I achieved… but it shows what I have lost”, spoke to a conservative outlook, yet days later, his remarks to Sky Sports Formula One that “I will keep working and hopefully one day I will have a chance to… maybe have proper comeback” were alarming cause for optimism.

On account of Jolyon Palmer’s ongoing struggles, Kubica’s “condensed Grand Prix weekend” did little to quell speculation that making a return at the Briton’s expense wasn’t as inconceivable as feared, while sustained woes for the former in the run towards the European summer break will only intensify speculation.

Convention suggests that reserve driver, Sergey Sirotkin, is next in line should Palmer become redundant, yet the temptation to restore Kubica to his former position would be extremely tempting should the 32-year-old satisfy several obstacles in coming months.

(AP Photo/Yves Logghe)

The 2012 challenger in which the Pole cut his laps is obsolete, though most pertinent is that the sport has undergone various iterations throughout the intervening years, and the current formula is significantly more physically demanding than the previous era.

Kubica’s experience from the late 2000s in the refuelling days means he carries some awareness of the standards necessary to endure race distances, it would merely be a case of his comfort with modern machinery’s parameters that determine his ability to participate on a competitive basis.

Concerning Kubica’s superlicence credentials, a logical solution to fulfilling the criteria presents itself at the post-Hungary test, where 300 kilometres of circulation in the current specification RS27 would be sufficient, and it’s at this moment that those who have waited patiently can dare to dream.

“Working for more than one year to prepare” for the successful test demonstrates his hunger, and if anything, Renault’s present standing offers an ideal environment for Kubica to regain control of his destiny.

If he flops, that’s understandable – it’s difficult to envisage his contribution as inferior to Palmer’s current output, though if he fires, the French manufacturer will count two extremely gifted individuals on its roster as they enter the title window.

Just as Fernando Alonso is active though might as well be absent in his current predicament, so has Robert Kubica’s literal absence been keenly felt, with these contemporaries, potentially the most gifted drivers of their generation, neutralised in their prime.

The concept of the former landing a competitive ride, and with a little fortune – perhaps more realistically if being facetious, the latter turning a wheel in anger once more is salivating, rest assured, any realisation would command listing as one of Formula One’s great fairytales.