Renault could snub Kubica, Petrov for 2012 - report

It is possible both Robert Kubica and Vitaly Petrov will not feature in next year’s Renault team lineup.

That is the claim of the German magazine Auto Motor und Sport, reporting that Bruno Senna and Romain Grosjean are in the running for the 2012 race seats.

Pole Kubica is recovering from injury at present and hoping to be ready to start driving once again as early as next month.

The report said he will start his comeback in a road car and possibly then move into a Renault single seater designed for the World Series or GP2.

"The question is whether Gerard Lopez and Eric Boullier want to wait that long," said Auto Motor und Sport.

Kubica currently has no contract for the 2012 season, with team boss Boullier warning at Monza that he needs to finalise the team’s lineup soon.

Kubica’s 2010 teammate Vitaly Petrov, on the other hand, has a contract for next season.

But Auto Motor und Sport refers to "rumours that the team could go with Bruno Senna and Romain Grosjean in 2012".

Referring to Senna, who has already replaced Kubica’s initial 2011 substitute Nick Heidfeld, the report said the "potential to find sponsors is greater in Brazil than it is in Russia".

New GP2 champion and Frenchman Grosjean, meanwhile, can be signed "at a discount price, with the hope of getting a subsidy from Renault for the engine".

Russian Petrov said at Monza that he is not worried.

"My contract is safe for next year," he insisted.