Don't get me wrong. I'm always happy when anybody, especially during this recession, finds a well-paying job. But in the grand scheme of things, moving to Renault is a bad career move for Robert Kubica. Why?
1. The car is a dog.
Since Alonso left Renault momentarily for McLaren, Renault's cars have been terrible. It is universally accepted that the R28 and R29 are mediocre at best and that the only reason Alonso has had some success with them is because of his extraordinary driving abilities. Just look at how the cars have fared in the hands of Alonso versus average drivers Piquet Jnr. and Grosjean, courtesy of wikipedia.
I predict that with another dog of a car in 2010, Kubica will score points, but will never score a podium finish.
2. Show me the money.
Without large amounts of money gushing in, the Renault team cannot be competitive. With ING pulling out, Renault F1 has lost a $65 million per year revenue source. Who is going to replace ING as the principal sponsor? With the current state of the global economy, no one. And it's not like there is a large Polish conglomerate (is there such a thing?) that is just dying to sponsor its countryman. I'm not sure how Renault SA is doing, but I can't imagine an automaker plunking down money right now to help an ailing sports team.
3. No management.
Renault right now is a headless chicken. Executive director of engineering Pat Symonds, who bowed out with Flavio, had decades of F1 experience and worked with Michael Schumacher and Alonso. And love him or hate him, Flavio has led a couple of extraordinary teams. They will not be back next year to help Kubica.
So with a piss poor car, no money, and no management, I can only wish Kubica the best.
Now I just hope the rumors of Heidfeld joining Kubica at Renault F1 are not true. With Kimi possibly going to Red Bull and Rubens to Williams, Quick Nick may end up at McLaren after all.
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