What will Robert Kubica’s return to Lotus Renault change?
Kubica's accident opened the doors of Lotus Renault GP to his former teammate, Nick Heidfeld. But won't his return hasten his exit?
During Robert Kubica’s accident in early February, Lotus Renault GP found itself in a difficult situation. Indeed, the former Losange team was left without its number 1 driver. After lengthy discussions, the name Nick Heidfeld, former teammate of the Polish driver at BMW-Sauber until 2009, was chosen. The German had made a return to the Sauber team in place of Pedro De La Rosa at the end of 2010, and was then free of any contract.
From now on, the German has taken over the place of his former teammate at Lotus Renault, following a request from Eric Boullier. But it was not without raising many questions regarding his conscience.
« It is not my fault that Robert had this accident, and I really hope he will get back soon. On the other hand, I had to seize this opportunity, and I feel happy to be driving again. »
But the situation is not clear for Quick Nick as some call him. Indeed, his contract is based on replacing Robert Kubica, and no one can say how long his recovery will last, and therefore the period during which the German will keep his seat.
« It is not yet very clear on the duration of my commitment, but I am of course ready to race for the entire season. It was a great feeling given that I wasn’t supposed to race this season. »
Nick Heidfeld will therefore team up with Vitaly Petrov this season and will be the reference driver, who will need to set the direction for the car’s development. Given the strong performances seen during winter testing, Lotus Renault might play the role of a spoiler among top-level teams, or possibly even have a place in the fight for the world championship.
And this is where one of the major unknowns lies: What will Eric Boullier do if Robert Kubica can return to racing, while the German driver is in contention for the world championship?
If the Lotus is on par with its opponents, the possibility of competing for world championships should not be overlooked. However, Robert Kubica has clearly stated that he wishes to return to his seat as soon as possible and might want to reclaim it. At the expense of a driver’s and/or constructor’s title? Perhaps. Unless the team decides to let Nick Heidfeld take Vitaly Petrov’s seat if the Russian is not at the expected level. But this could risk causing some changes in the brand’s economy, even though the sporting aspect will, hopefully, be the most important, contrary to some decisions made by teams in recent years.
The return of the Robert Kubica/Nick Heidfeld duo would not be improbable if the Russian does not reach or get close to the level of his new teammate.
But first, the Polish driver must start his rehabilitation to return as soon as possible, and on that day, Eric Boullier will have to make a choice. Keep Heidfeld and Petrov, replace the Russian with Kubica upon his return, or the German driver.
