Renault team principal Eric Boullier says they may have to wait until mid-June for a clearer picture of Robert Kubica's future.
Renault team boss says they should know more about Polish driver's future next month
Renault team principal Eric Boullier said on Thursday that they may have to wait until mid-June for a clearer picture of Robert Kubica's Formula One future.
Kubica left hospital a fortnight ago, two months after suffering arm, leg and hand injuries in a life-threatening rally accident in Italy.
The Pole, considered a potential future world champion, has returned to his home in Monaco and is working hard on a rehabilitation programme.
"I spent an hour on the phone this week with him and he's obviously very relieved to be back home, relieved to get back to a normal life even if he has to work every day on the rehabilitation," Boullier told reporters at the Turkish Grand Prix.
"He's working very hard, six to seven hours per day, and I think we should know more let's say by mid-June what to expect and when."
Boullier, whose team hired Nick Heidfeld as Kubica's stand-in, said his recovery must not be rushed.
Cautious
"The injury was quite bad. Bones and muscles are easy to fix, if I may say this, but nerves are a different story," he said.
"You need to be cautious in the development of this. So this is why they need to take time, do it properly and monitor and handle it properly."
Speaking during Thursday's press conference at Istanbul Park, fellow Renault driver Vitaly Petrov said he missed his team-mate and hoped to be racing him again soon.
"He knew exactly what to do and all the guys in the team believed in him and he was always funny and very, very quick," said Petrov.
"What we saw last year, he was one of the best drivers. So we all miss him. We know he just left hospital; now he has a long time to recover, so we all support him and we are waiting for him.
"I hope that this year we can see him in the paddock, just to say hello."
McLaren's Lewis Hamilton, an old rival from teenage karting days, echoed Petrov's sentiments.
"He's a great talent in the sport and he definitely deserves to be here so I hope that he has a very, very fast recovery and no doubt he has the right people behind him to help him recover in the best way," he said.
