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Kubica not expecting F1 return soon

ESPN Staff
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Robert Kubica has been taking part in and winning rallies in recent months © Sutton Images
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Robert Kubica will start making decisions about his future soon, but has admitted there is no chance of him returning to Formula One in the immediate future.

Kubica suffered life-threatening injuries in a rallying accident at the start of 2011 and has faced a long rehabilitation period to get back in the cockpit of a rally car. In the past month Kubica has won the Rally di Como in a WRC Citroen C4 and was in a commanding position in the Rallye du Var before he crashed out.

In an interview with Autoweek, Kubica revealed that, although he misses the world of F1, limited mobility in his right arm will prevent a return any time soon.

"If I can move my arm again [freely], there is a chance that I will return," he said. "But until that happens, we'll have to see. There's no chance of me coming back to Formula One soon."

He added: "If it was just about power, it could be fixed by some training at the gym. The main problem is the mobility of my elbow and wrist. I still find it difficult to move my right arm. I had several operations that were meant to improve this issue, but there's not been a spectacular improvement."

Kubica's recent exploits in a WRC Citroen C4 has led to speculation he might compete in next year's World Rally Championship, and while he revealed he is in talks, he said he had several options moving forward.

"I will make a decision very soon. My name still means something, so it would be relatively easy to find a place in touring cars or endurance racing, I think. If I go down that road, I can expect some good results: I've got 20 years of circuit racing experience behind me to fall back on. If I choose rallying, it's going to be a different story. In terms of experience, I'm practically nobody. I'll need two or three years to learn to get to the highest level."

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