Robert Kubica has cancelled his 2017 plans to compete in the World Endurance Championship after signing a contract earlier this year. The Pole was scheduled to race with ByKolles Racing for 2017 but has since decided against the decision.
The Privateer LMP1 team faced many issues during the Prologue in Monza earlier this month, with Kubica at the wheel of the ENSO CLM P1/01 NISMO alongside Oliver Webb.
The team packed up early with only six laps under their belt and left Monza after a rear wing failure. Kubica said it was a tough choice to leave, but hopes it is not the final goodbye.
"After the Prologue, I have decided to interrupt my racing program with the ByKolles team in LMP1,” Kubica said in a statement on his Facebook page. “Therefore, I will not take part in the upcoming WEC Silverstone opening round and in the other WEC races.
“It has been a hard decision to step down and so lose the opportunity to join such a challenging and competitive championship but I hope this will not be a definitive goodbye."
There has been no confirmation on who will take Kubica's place, however former Formula 1 driver Pastor Maldonado is in the frame, as is former Rebellion Racing driver Dominik Kraihamer.
Fergal Walsh
Meaning he will replace Palmer or even Stroll by middle of the season ;)
Highly unlikely he would be parachuted in to an active F1 team in the middle of a season after his many years of absence. I agree he was a very quick and intelligent driver but that arm injury and hidden psychological "damage" will make it very hard for him to get back into F1 now.. A possible route back would have been a season or two in Manor, but even that's gone now..
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HEINZ
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Meaning he will replace Palmer or even Stroll by middle of the season ;)