Renault has confirmed Robert Kubica will drive its current Formula One car at the upcoming in-season test in Hungary.
Kubica's promising F1 career was interrupted in 2011 when he suffered severe injuries in a rallying accident, but in recent months he has been exploring the possibility of a full-time return to the sport. In June he drove an F1 car for the first time in seven years during a private test with Renault at Valencia and he returned to the cockpit of the same 2012-spec car at a follow up test at Paul Ricard in July.
His return to an contemporary F1 car at the upcoming post-race test at the Hungaroring on August 2 will represent the biggest step yet in his remarkable return, and Renault is open to the possibility of a full-time drive if it goes well.
"The first two days of testing allowed both Robert and ourselves to gather a great amount of information," Renault F1 boss Cyril Abiteboul said. "The upcoming session with the R.S.17 at the Hungaroring will allow us all to obtain detailed and precise data in a current car and representative conditions.
"After this test, we will carefully analyse the collected information to determine in what conditions it would be possible for Robert to return to competition in the upcoming years."
Kubica last drove an up-to-date F1 car at the opening pre-season test of 2011, just one week before his brutal rallying accident in Italy. His injuries left him with reduced mobility in his right wrist and forearm that prevented an immediate return to single seaters in the following years. Kubica has participated in the WRC and a number of one-off circuit races since his accident, but said recently he was only ever working towards another F1 opportunity.
"I have been a long time away from the circuit and in the last 18 months I have not been driving [regularly] -- it's been single races in different categories and trying to find my place," he said earlier this month.
"When you get in an F1 car and after one lap you see the pace is there, it's special emotions and I miss it so much, but probably my biggest problem in these past years is that I had different good offers but I was waiting for that one.
"I'm happy with how the things went and I am enjoying the period because believe me, I have been through difficult days, but I have to enjoy it and I never believed I would be in this position four or five months ago. It's great for me."