Kubica not expected to be ready for Brazil GP
Last Updated: August 26, 2011 5:26pm
Nick Heidfeld: Heading for the High Court next month
Renault team principal Eric Boullier has insisted that Nick Heidfeld's failure to provide leadership resulted in the German's axing from the team.
Renault won an initial hearing on Wednesday to replace Heidfeld with reserve Bruno Senna for this weekend's Belgian Grand Prix and subsequent race in Italy.
However, driver and team are to head to the High Court on September 19 to resolve the dispute, as Heidfeld believes he is contractually obliged to see out the season.
Although Heidfeld is two points ahead of team-mate Vitaly Petrov in the drivers' standings, Boullier feels he had no choice but to tell the German his services were no longer required.
"We reviewed our performance and level of motivation, a number of things over the summer, and we chose a new direction," said Boullier.
"There was also an opportunity to assess Bruno as a driver, and this is why we have moved on. It is nothing to do with money.
"Every session, every weekend, the media have jumped on me asking why Vitaly is faster than Nick.
"I was not very happy with his speed and overall performance as an experienced driver. Nick is a nice guy, but leadership didn't work.
"When you are slower than Vitaly most of the time, it's difficult for him to push the team and set up himself as team leader.
"I admit the car is not good enough, we have not developed it well enough, so we have made mistakes as well.
"When you have a negative spiral, it's complicated to stop it, so I had to change something within the team, something with the drivers to shake up and wake up everybody."
Boullier has revealed Heidfeld refused to settle out of court, only for Renault to win on every count in the initial hearing.
Very friendly
Insisting he remains "very friendly" with Heidfeld, Boullier is not ruling out the possibility of the decision being overturned.
"The decision was for Bruno to replace Nick until the end of the season," added Boullier. "But because there is now another hearing, after that anything is possible."
The intention is for Robert Kubica to eventually return, but the Pole faces one final operation to aid the movement in his right elbow.
"He has another surgery to go through, so we have to wait until he is fully recovered," said Boullier.
"I know this is the last one, and then he will finally start full rehabilitation, and if he is ready, the plan is still to have him back for next year."
Boullier is not expecting Kubica to be ready for the last race of the season in Brazil.
"I don't believe so. He is recovering well, but this last operation is another pain to go through," he added.
"He will then have to go through full rehabilitation, as well as driving again, because even if he is recovered physically he will still have to get back his feeling in the car.
"It's easy to schedule a simulator run, but the most complicated part is to have a 2009 car ready to run for him."
Credit: Sky Sports (www.skysports.com)
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