The most under-appreciated driver in Formula 1 is most definitely Robert Kubica, the Pole had a promising start to his career and almost won the 2008 season. His 2009 was a bit of a disappointment but it was only due to BMW's lack of firepower throughout the year.

BMW withdrew from Formula 1 at the end of this season, and since most drivers had already signed on for new teams, Kubica was left with no race seat. Fortunately for him, the Renault team was more than happy to sign him on for the 2010 season. It was even more of relief as Renault was also on the verge of a major collapse, especially after former chief Flavio Briatore was banned from the sport for the match fixing scandal. Renault did sell a majority share of itself to Genii Capital investment company.

Kubica's manager, Daniel Morelli, said that he needs 'more information' before he committed himself to the team, a position that has now been resolved. "We are going in the right direction," Morelli told reporters. "There were no doubts, really, but it was very important we understood who were in the key roles in the team and of course also the budget.

It is fundamental you have that for the updates to the car," he added. Some reports indicated that Renault had hesitated on signing on Kubica for his humongous salary demands, but Morelli denied any such allegations.

"It is totally untrue that we were asking for more money," said Morelli. "It is not in our interests to take advantage. We want the money for the team. Robert wants a performing car. It's useless if the driver gets more money if you have a weak car and lose (performance) bonuses. It's better to score points and make podiums than to earn more money."

Renaut's chances of securin gthe podium in 2010 look slim, and the team members know that. Last year they finished 8th in the constructor's championship, a far cry from the back to back world titles in 2005 and 2006 with Fernando Alonso, Flavio Briatore and technical director Pat Symonds. Acting team principal Bob Bell says the team know they won't be able to challenge for top honours this year. "The real target for us is to build for 2011 and a Championship campaign," Bell told Autosport. "But we have realistic expectations for 2010. We are not going to produce a car that catapults us to the front because F1 is very competitive. But our 2010 expectations are to run towards the front and challenge for the top three."

Coming out of the Crashgate Scandal was not easy, but Bell says that there is a lot of scope for future seasons. "This is nothing but positive for the team," Bell added. "It has ended all of the concerns that the staff had and gives a secure base for the future. There is a multi-year commitment and a very sensible strategy. It's a win-win situation for both Renault and its partners, and is a big step forward." he said.