LEWIS HAPPY KUBICA BACK ON TRACK
LEWIS HAMILTON believes Robert Kubica returning to the Formula One grid would be “great” for the championship.
Kubica, whose F1 career was put on hold when he partially severed his right forearm in a rallying crash in 2011, has completed two tests for Renault so far this year in one of its 2012 Lotus E20s.
He will drive one of the team’s 2017 cars for the first time next week in testing following this weekend’s Hungarian Grand Prix.
Renault dismissed claims it was lining up Kubica to replace Britain’s Jolyon Palmer later this season.
But they did admit Kubica’s participation in the test was to assess his chances of making a comeback next year.
Hamilton (above) said: “I’m really happy he’s doing the test, and I’ll have a keen eye on how he’s doing.
“I think it will be great if he’s able to return, if he can, physically.
“He has raw, natural talent, which I think as a sport it’s a shame we don’t have here with us.”
Kubica’s best F1 season came in 2008, when he finished fourth in the championship while driving for BMW Sauber and led the points after winning the Canadian Grand Prix.
Hamilton, who went on to claim the first of his three titles that year, said Kubica would have been a regular championship contender had his career not been disrupted.
“Robert’s one of the quickest drivers I’ve ever raced against,” he added. “If he was still racing today he’d been in contention for a world title, if he’d not won one.
“Not a lot of great, great drivers come through.
“You have some that are much better than the rest, but still not the greatest, and then you have real special drivers like him.” The luckless Palmer brought out red flags yesterday during practice for tomorrow’s race when he smashed his front wing on a kerb, leaving debris over the track and puncturing the car’s right front tyre.
Hamilton struggled to get a clean run and finished fifth behind Daniel Ricciardo, who continued his impressive pace in the upgraded Red Bull.
Little separated the top five, but Ricciardo finished 0.183sec clear of Sebastian Vettel, with Valtteri Bottas third fastest, ahead of Kimi Raikkonen and Hamilton.
The top five drivers were separated by just 0.324sec.
Ricciardo, who won here in 2014, said: “It’s all aero stuff, but hopefully it all works together and gives us the lap time we desire.
“It’s a combination of things.
“On the wind tunnel it looks like it should help downforce and hopefully that gives us the lap time.”