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Kubica won't return to F1 - Ferrari

Robert Kubica was heavily linked with a move to Ferrari before his accident © Getty Images

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Ferrari was interested in signing Robert Kubica but team principal Stefano Domenicali doesn't believe he will ever return to Formula One.

Kubica was often linked with a move to Ferrari before his rally accident in February 2011 which has seen him unable to drive a Formula One car since. Asked by a fan on the official Ferrari website if there was ever the intention for Ferrari to sign Kubica, Domenicali confirmed: "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."

Domenicali was also asked why Ferrari had retained Felipe Massa for so long, and admitted patience had finally run out this year.

"There are two reasons. 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. 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. We took [Kimi] Raikkonen because we wanted more. When we replaced him with [Fernando] Alonso, he was not happy and so he returns with a great desire to do well."

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.