Robert Kubica says his chances of making a Formula 1 comeback are now "very slight" after Carlos Sainz Jr. secured the second Renault seat alongside Nico Hulkenberg for 2018.
Kubica had been in with a chance of securing the second Renault seat after completing a number of tests for the French manufacturer, which were aimed at assessing his abilities following his rallying accident in 2011.
Although Renault bosses were content with Kubica's performance, an opportunity to sign long-time target Sainz Jr. came up after the Honda/Toro Rosso engine deal, leaving Kubica on the sidelines.
However the Polish driver's chance of returning might not be completely over, with Williams considering Kubica as a potential Felipe Massa replacement, although he admitted his chances were now slim.
"I am very realistic and I know that the possibility of my returning full-time to racing in Formula 1 is very slight," Kubica told the FIA's AUTO magazine. "Every day, I discover my new limits, but I have always hoped that I'd at least get the chance to give it a go.
"I've done a lot of kilometres in the simulator and I've driven in other categories, but I knew that only driving a Formula 1 car would give me those special feelings again and that proved to be true."
Discussing his injury, Kubica admitted he went through some dark times, but was in a happier place now, given recent developments.
"Life had given me so much and then, in an instant, it took it all away. They say time is a healer but that wasn't the case for me – in fact it made me suffer more.
"At first I thought I'd get full functionality back quite quickly, but that didn't happen and the improvement I was hoping for didn't come. It was tough, but I realised I had to accept it. Once I managed that, I was able to embark on a new chapter.
"The accident turned my life upside down, but I'm aware that a few centimetres more and I wouldn't be here talking about it. The biggest job I had to do was in my own head.
"There were some terrible times in which I no longer felt up to it. It was worse than a physical pain, but now I can finally feel at peace with myself, because I'm back to being who I was – a Formula 1 driver."
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