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Robert Kubica Gets Back In An F1 Car, Drives 115 Laps Like A Boss

Robert Kubica has gotten back in an F1 car after six years of absence, and it looks like he truly missed driving the highest-performing open-wheel single seaters in the world.
Robert Kubica test day at Valencia 5 photos
Photo: Renault
Robert Kubica test day at ValenciaRobert Kubica test day at ValenciaRobert Kubica test day at ValenciaRobert Kubica test day at Valencia
The Polish driver got behind the wheel of a 2012 Lotus E20, which was painted in the current colors of Renault’s Formula 1 team, and he drove 115 laps of the Valencia circuit in Spain. The distance he covered is a Grand Prix times one and a half, and it appears that he has not lost his touch.

The 32-year-old got the drive in what is described as a private session with Renault, and the results he made should make him eligible for further collaboration with the French company.

He conducted several evaluations with different settings and fuel loads. It is worth noting that Kubica drove a 2012-specification F1 car, which came with a V8 engine, instead of the current flock of turbocharged V6 motors.

The first time Robert stepped in a Renault F1 car was back in 2005, when he was selected for a test, and he stated that he was happy to have another go in a car like this.

The driver also mentioned that he was proud of his results in Valencia, and he is aware of what he lost in these past few years.

In case you have forgotten, Robert Kubica was involved in a serious injury back in 2011, before the inaugural race of that year's Formula 1 season.

The Italian crash took place in a rally where the first Polish driver in F1 was running to keep his skill sharp between winter tests, but the impact was so severe that he risked losing the capability of using his right arm.

In his four-year career in F1, the Polish driver made 76 Grand Prix starts, and won the 2008 Canadian GP. Other wins in Kubica’s name include the 2013 WRC2 title, as well as the 2014 European Rally Championship season-opener.
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About the author: Sebastian Toma
Sebastian Toma profile photo

Sebastian's love for cars began at a young age. Little did he know that a career would emerge from this passion (and that it would not, sadly, involve being a professional racecar driver). In over fourteen years, he got behind the wheel of several hundred vehicles and in the offices of the most important car publications in his homeland.
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