Renault team boss Eric Boullier has said that injured driver Robert Kubica cannot now commit to a deadline for his Formula One return, and has admitted that there is a possibility that he may return midway through next season.
Kubica has been recovering from injuries sustained in a pre-season rallying accident for the whole of the 2011 season, but had been expected to return for 2012.However, despite confident statements from his management over his ability to return, doubts are increasing about the timescale of the Polish driver's recovery.
And although Boullier has continued to insist that Renault will give him time to recover, he has admitted that there is a chance that the team will start 2012 without their star driver.
"The latest I have is that he cannot commit to any deadline," he told the Autosport website over the Abu Dhabi GP weekend, "We obviously want him to be back."
He went on: "If it has to be during the course of next year, why not?
"There are some conditions that we need to discuss, and I need to discuss with his manager that once he knows he cannot be back, or if he cannot be back, then any scenarios we now need to properly communicate."
But Boullier insisted that he remained "morally committed" to giving Kubica the time to prove his fitness to return, saying he will do what he can to keep a seat open for the Pole.
"I am patient because I am morally committed for him, he was very important for us," he continued, "We play the game, we played every game for him and I am morally committed.
"If I can have a scenario where he can be back, even during the course of the year, I will try to make it, but obviously I cannot do more."
Renault have already been making tentative progress on fallback plans should Kubica miss the start of 2012.
The team have brought in Bruno Senna for the second half of the 2011 season, and are giving contracted driver Romain Grosjean a run out in FP1 in the final two races of the year.
And Boullier said that he had been impressed by Grosjean's performance in Abu Dhabi, where the Frenchman ended 12th fastest, half a second ahead of team mate Vitaly Petrov.
"I think he did well. No mistakes. He built up some speed, delivering some good lap times and I am surprised about the feedback which is quite good, and then we will see," he rambled.
"Obviously it was his first session and I think he had the pace, so let's see in Interlagos."
Grosjean is considered a possibility for the second seat at Renault for 2012 alongside Petrov, should Kubica's return be further delayed.
Current driver Senna, as well as potential Williams and Force India refugees Rubens Barrichello and Adrian Sutil have also been linked with the team.
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