Amidst mounting speculation since he carried out a private test with the French team at Valencia, Renault has confirmed that Robert Kubica will now complete another test aimed at extensively evaluating his driving capabilities.

Though no date is given, the Pole will once again drive the V8-powered 2012 E20 he drove in the initial test.

"Whilst the first day of testing at Valencia was no more than to let Robert get reacquainted with the feel of driving again, this second test will be to assess his capabilities to return to the highest level of competition," said team boss Cyril Abiteboul.

"This is a new phase in his personal and professional journey and we are proud to support him in the form of lending our infrastructure at Paul Ricard that is suitable for professional and non-professional drivers.

"There are still many hurdles for him to overcome, and he knows better than anyone else that only his performance will determine if he can one day return to being a professional driver."

While Renault has continually played down speculation over the first test, insisting that it was private and essentially a 'thank you' to the Pole for his previous work with the team, Kubica's own comments, including his claim this week that he is 80 - 90% ready to return to F1, have meant that it has never really died down.

Today's news from Renault will only further fan the flames.

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