Kubica unsure of future after 'emotional' test

Robert Kubica admits he has mixed feelings following what was an "emotional" return to a Formula 1 cockpit with Renault on Tuesday.

The Pole suffered critical injuries in a rally crash at the start of 2011, ending a promising F1 career as the injuries sustained limited the mobility of his right arm. At the time of the accident, Kubica was a Lotus-Renault driver and on Tuesday the team – now Renault's full manufacturer outfit √ gave him a full day in a 2012 E20 in Valencia.

Having completed over 100 laps on his first time back in an F1 car, Kubica admits it was a major milestone for him to be able to drive one.

"I would like to thank everybody for making this possible, I hope it was a good day for everyone and maybe they saw something of my old, 2010 self," Kubica said. "For me, it has been an important day from an emotional point of view. It has been a long time away from the paddock and I have been through difficult periods. I kept working hard and a few years ago I felt it was impossible.

"I have mixed feelings – I am proud with what I achieved, but also it shows what I have lost. I don't know what the future will bring, but I know one thing: after working for more than one year to prepare for this, I ran with good pace and consistent in difficult conditions.

"It is not easy after six years, but I knew I could do the job and I can be satisfied. I appreciate the opportunity. Renault gave me my first F1 test in 2005, so I appreciate another test this time around."

While Kubica says his future plans are unknown, Renault sporting director Alan Permane insists the test was just a one-off for the 32-year-old.

"It was good to see Robert back in a Formula 1 car," Permane said. "It was a smooth day. We tried to condense a Grand Prix weekend into one day, which was interesting for him. Robert has changed a little – he is more mellow and he wasn't as pushy when asking for every detail about the setup of the car! His comments and feedback, however, were like turning the clock back for all of us. It is a tricky thing to jump into an F1 car after six years and it was a great performance from him.

"This was a one-off event for Robert. His time with Renault was cut short so abruptly and we perceived such a nice future with him. The team was in Valencia testing with Sergey Sirotkin, so it was the perfect opportunity to offer Robert a day in the car and contribute in our way to his recovery."