Kubica Plays Down Ferrari Deal Once Again

Robert Kubica once again insisted that he has no plans of joining Ferrari next season, a move that was projected by the media in recent months. While such rumors are no news to the Polish driver, an element that further added to the reports was the fact that his traveling back to Europe from the Chinese Grand Prix was alongside the Scuderia.

“The Renault driver, a close friend of Fernando Alonso, was aboard the Italian team's initial VIP flight out of Shanghai amid the volcanic ash air chaos,” said a report from the GMM news agency. The Pole was rushing back to Italy in order to secure his entry in the 1000 Miglia rally in a Renault-prepared Clio.

Obviously, his joining long-time friend Fernando Alonso – the two are known to be best friends inside the series and can be spotted playing poker together every once in a while – in the airplane set off a new series of discussions, which the 24-year old Pole felt necessary to play down.

“Sure, sure, sure,” answered Kubica when asked if he'll be Alonso's teammate from 2011 onwards. “I don't see anything in the fact that my (travel) solution was because of the Scuderia,” Kubica wrote in his latest column for France's Auto Hebdo later on.

Needless to say, the speculation was not quite justified, as Kubica was not the only driver heading back to Europe alongside the Ferrari team. Vitantonio Liuzzi and Jarno Trulli also enjoyed the same route back from China, alongside other test drivers for F1 teams.

In the meantime, both Renault and Ferrari are doing little to prevent the Kubica-Ferrari reports from spreading, as neither managed to secure their lineup from 2011 onwards. Both Kubica's and Felipe Massa's deals run out at the end of this season, and no team has issued any statement on further contract extensions for the 2011 season.