Stefano Domenicali has admitted that Ferrar intended to offer Robert Kubica a drive prior to his horrific rally accident in 2011.
The Polish driver suffered terrible injuries after crashing his Super-S2000 Skoda Fabia car on the 6th February 2011 in the Ronde di Andora rally. Whilst he has made a remarkable recovery, he still does not have full movement of his right arm.
Kubica has even said himself that he could only race on certain circuits if he returned to the sport, due to his restricted movement.
Domenicali said in an interview with the Ferrari website: "Yes, we were keeping an eye on him. Unfortunately, I don't think he will be back, because with his physical problem, he would struggle in certain limited situations which require reactivity."
"It's a shame," he added. Kubica has been linked to numerous drives over the past two years but has now switched focus to his rallying career. He currently leads the WRC2 standings and is set to make the jump to the WRC at next month's Wales Rally GB.
The 28-year-old has also used a Mercedes F1 simulator. Domenicali also commented on the teams' current driver Felipe Massa. Some questioned why he was retained after his serious accident at the 2009 Hungarian Grand Prix, linking his lack of pace to the crash.
However, the Ferrari team principal felt that Massa needed another chance to prove himself. "From a medical point of view, there is no proof that the accident left any permanent damage, such as problems with his sight or reflexes," he said. "And then there's the gentility which would demand that we give a driver who hasn't had much luck, the chance to show he deserves to stay with us."
"If Felipe was unable to deliver the performance we hoped for, it was mainly down to a hyper-sensitivity to a car that was too nervous at the rear, but in 2008, he almost took the title and I consider him as a world champion."
Massa will now depart the team at the end of 2013 after eight seasons. He will be replaced by Kimi Raikkonen, who is returning to the Scuderia after two seasons at Lotus.
Reports in the F1 paddock suggest Massa could be off to Williams, replacing Pastor Maldonado.
Commenting on Raikkonen's return, Domenicali said: "We took Raikkonen because we wanted more. When we replaced him with Alonso, he was not happy and so he returns with a great desire to do well."
Raikkonen also commented on his move to Ferrari. When asked how he is feeling about the move considering the recent strong for of Lotus and struggles of his 2014 team, he replied in the FIA driver press conference: "Good. Otherwise I wouldn't have made the decision if I didn't think it was right for myself."
Meanwhile Ferrari continues to battle Mercedes and Lotus for second in the constructor's standings. They currently hold the runner-up spot but only 33 points separates second and fourth.
Alonso is also clinging on to his title hopes in the drivers' standings. However Vettel's recent domination has meant that he needs just a fifth place finish to wrap up the 2013 title. If he retires, Alonso will still need to finish second in order to take the title on to Abu Dhabi.
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| (c) Octane Photographic |
Kubica has even said himself that he could only race on certain circuits if he returned to the sport, due to his restricted movement.
Domenicali said in an interview with the Ferrari website: "Yes, we were keeping an eye on him. Unfortunately, I don't think he will be back, because with his physical problem, he would struggle in certain limited situations which require reactivity."
"It's a shame," he added. Kubica has been linked to numerous drives over the past two years but has now switched focus to his rallying career. He currently leads the WRC2 standings and is set to make the jump to the WRC at next month's Wales Rally GB.
The 28-year-old has also used a Mercedes F1 simulator. Domenicali also commented on the teams' current driver Felipe Massa. Some questioned why he was retained after his serious accident at the 2009 Hungarian Grand Prix, linking his lack of pace to the crash.
However, the Ferrari team principal felt that Massa needed another chance to prove himself. "From a medical point of view, there is no proof that the accident left any permanent damage, such as problems with his sight or reflexes," he said. "And then there's the gentility which would demand that we give a driver who hasn't had much luck, the chance to show he deserves to stay with us."
"If Felipe was unable to deliver the performance we hoped for, it was mainly down to a hyper-sensitivity to a car that was too nervous at the rear, but in 2008, he almost took the title and I consider him as a world champion."
Massa will now depart the team at the end of 2013 after eight seasons. He will be replaced by Kimi Raikkonen, who is returning to the Scuderia after two seasons at Lotus.
Reports in the F1 paddock suggest Massa could be off to Williams, replacing Pastor Maldonado.
Commenting on Raikkonen's return, Domenicali said: "We took Raikkonen because we wanted more. When we replaced him with Alonso, he was not happy and so he returns with a great desire to do well."
Raikkonen also commented on his move to Ferrari. When asked how he is feeling about the move considering the recent strong for of Lotus and struggles of his 2014 team, he replied in the FIA driver press conference: "Good. Otherwise I wouldn't have made the decision if I didn't think it was right for myself."
Meanwhile Ferrari continues to battle Mercedes and Lotus for second in the constructor's standings. They currently hold the runner-up spot but only 33 points separates second and fourth.
Alonso is also clinging on to his title hopes in the drivers' standings. However Vettel's recent domination has meant that he needs just a fifth place finish to wrap up the 2013 title. If he retires, Alonso will still need to finish second in order to take the title on to Abu Dhabi.
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