Aug.11 (GMM) Yet another respected figure in the F1 paddock has backed Robert Kubica’s return to F1.
Last year, Daniel Schlosser was Nico Rosberg’s physiotherapist as the now retired Mercedes driver raced to the title.
Now, Schlosser works with Force India tester Nikita Mazepin, but it’s former grand prix winner Kubica that he publicly backs to be capable of immediately racing in F1.
Kubica tested Renault’s 2017 car in Hungary recently and Schlosser said he thinks the 32-year-old’s permanently injured right arm should be no obstacle to his return.
“He still has very good muscles in his right arm — only the volume is not so great,” he told Sport Bild.
Some have expressed surprise that Kubica is still able to drive well with such a visibly-damaged arm, but Schlosser is not among them.
“Nico (Rosberg), for example, always had a lot of tension in his wrists, so he had to train his arms heavily. But other drivers are lighter on the steering due to having a different driving technique.
“Nick Heidfeld was one of them, and probably also Kubica,” Schlosser explained. “They never had to train as much as the others.”
As for how Kubica can negotiate tight left hand corners now that his right arm is compromised, he answered: “Instead of pressing with the right, you can pull with the left. And depending on the technique, this can even be more efficient.”
And so from the evidence seen so far, Schlosser thinks Kubica can return to F1.
“In Hungary, he ran a very difficult programme in high temperatures, which was hard for some young drivers. Anyone who can handle that can also handle a grand prix,” he said.