Robert Kubica's return to circuit racing in Mugello 12H 'a one-off'

Kubica will partner World Rally Championship regular Martin Prokop in a Mercedes SLS GT3 entered by the Czech driver's new MP-Sports team in the Italian round of the Creventic 24 Hour Series at Mugello on March 18-19.

The race will be Kubica's first start on a circuit since the 2010 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

He chose the WRC to make his comeback after the early-2011 rally crash that left him with horrific arm injuries.

"After competing in the past three seasons on uneven surfaces I am looking forward to getting back to racing," Kubica said.

"When the team called me a few weeks ago I decided to help them on their first outing.

"Martin is my friend from WRC and I know his team very well.

"For myself it will be the first experience in a GT3 car. I am looking forward to this challenge.

"At the moment this is a one-off event for me on the circuit to help Martin and the team.

"But even if this will be the first outing of us as a team I am sure we can deliver a good result.

"There are a lot of top cars and top GT drivers entered. They will be hard to beat but we will try our best."

The event will be Prokop's circuit racing debut, though he tested the car during 2015.

He has diversified from the WRC this year and also contested the Dakar Rally.

Kubica's plans for the rest of 2016 are currently uncertain, with his early crash in Monte Carlo marking the end of his WRC stint for now.

MP Sports team manager Quirin Muller said: "To have an ex F1 driver within the team on the first outing is something special.

"I am sure all of us can learn a lot from Robert's experience."