Robert Kubica will forever be remembered as one of the most talented drivers in the history of Formula 1 who never fulfilled his potential.
When Lewis Hamilton made his debut in the 2007 F1 season, he arrived with a huge amount of hype given his junior career, but Robert Kubica was always one of his toughest foes.
The Polish driver stepped up to Formula 1 the year before Hamilton, making his debut at the 2006 Hungarian Grand Prix.
He was a Formula Renault 3.5 champion in 2005 and should have raced against Hamilton at the Macau Grand Prix before McLaren advised him to skip the event to prepare for the same race the following year.
By that point, the Pole was a Formula 1 driver, even if Kubica admitted he had a bizarre debut test, and Hamilton had just won the GP2 championship, the final step on his road to F1 where he would eventually become a world champion.
The 40-year-old had opportunities to challenge for championships himself in F1, but in the end, managed just a single race victory.
While he was widely respected, in an interview with Motorsport Italia, Kubica admitted that former F1 world champion Jacques Villeneuve was never his biggest fan.
That may be because Kubica stepped into Villeneuve’s seat at BMW Sauber, bringing his F1 career to an end.
Robert Kubica admits he was never Jacques Villeneuve’s ‘favourite’ driver in F1
Kubica was asked about his first race in Formula 1 when he stepped into Villeneuve’s seat following the 1997 champion complaining about headaches after an accident at that year’s German Grand Prix.
Recalling the event, he said: “I remember it and I can’t say it was a surprise, I have to be honest.
“Because in any case, it was a bit in the air, the BMW bosses wanted to put me in the car and obviously, it’s a delicate thing because when you have to put one driver in, you have to leave another out.
“Jacques, I think he kept it a little to himself for many years let’s say, that I was never his favourite but that’s OK, that’s life.
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“It was an incredible experience. A week ago I was asked which race I would like to relive and I said that one.
“Not for the emotions because it wasn’t a good weekend. But Sunday wasn’t a great Sunday for me.
“Also, because I made mistakes and in the end, I managed to finish in the points but the car was underweight as we had a gas leak and something in the system exploded.”
Robert Kubica admitted one move during his F1 career was a mistake
Kubica spent several seasons at BMW Sauber before moving to Renault where he believes he had his best season in the sport.
Interestingly, Kubica believed he would have beaten Fernando Alonso at Ferrari in 2011 when he was supposed to join the team.
Unfortunately, a rallying accident ruled out Kubica staying in F1 and it took years for him to recover to the point where he could drive at the pinnacle of motorsport again.
READ MORE: Robert Kubica makes surprise pick for ‘most beautiful’ F1 race after sharing podium with Michael Schumacher
Kubica later admitted joining Williams was a mistake, with the car rooted to the back of the grid.
He helped George Russell’s early development as an F1 driver and aside from several stand-in performances for Alfa Romeo, it was the end of his time in the series.
However, Kubica’s quality has shone through since then, winning the World Endurance Championship in 2023 and the European Le Mans Series in 2024.
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