Robert Kubica is a driver that many F1 fans will feel should have achieved much more than he ended up doing.
The 40-year-old became the first and to date only Polish driver to race in F1 back in 2006. He replaced the 1997 champion Jacques Villeneuve midway through the season at BMW.
Kubica had been associated with Renault, being handed his first F1 test in 2005 in Fernando Alonso’s title-winning car. However, Kubica felt Renault were ‘forced’ to test him as he got the outing through winning the Formula Renault 3.5 Series, not through a direct invite.
The Pole grabbed his first podium in F1 in just his third race at Monza. Impressed by his raw speed and talent, BMW handed him a full-time seat next to Nick Heidfeld for 2007.
Kubica was regularly in the points as he finished the year sixth in the standings, but he missed the United States Grand Prix after a harrowing accident in Montreal.
Robert Kubica reminded Marco Schupbach of Michael Schumacher with his win in Canada in 2008
Kubica stunned doctors with an ‘impossible’ recovery from the accident as he returned to the cockpit after one race out, finishing fourth at Magny-Cours.
The Pole and BMW made a step up in 2008 as they mounted a stronger challenge to McLaren and Ferrari. Kubica grabbed seven podiums as he finished fourth in the standings, 23 points behind champion Lewis Hamilton.
One of those seven podiums was a victory in Canada – a year on from his accident. Speaking with Pit Debrief, the 40-year-old’s former engineer Marco Schupbach recalled how Kubica reminded him of Michael Schumacher with his performance.
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BMW had worked a two-stop strategy for Kubica in the race, allowing him to pass teammate Heidfeld for the win. Asked whether the German was told to make way for the Pole, Schupback said: “Yes, Nick was instructed to let Robert past.
“And it was crucial to make our two-stopper work. In the worst case, we could have lost the victory altogether and finished behind Coulthard with both cars instead.
“When we told [Kubica] how many laps he had to pull this gap, I think it was around 18 laps, which was a massive task. I think his reply was ‘OK’ or ‘copy.’ Not more. And he did it. Not a mistake in those laps. Reminded me of [Michael] Schumacher that day.”
Robert Kubica surprisingly did not name 2008 as his best F1 season
Canada 2008 turned out to be Kubica’s only F1 win – a disappointing stat given how much potential the Pole showed in his career.
The 40-year-old moved to Renault in 2010 after BMW regressed in the new era of regulations. The Enstone-based outfit had also struggled with the new rules, but Kubica helped to build the team back up.
The Pole grabbed regular points finishes and three podiums as he finished eighth in the standings. Kubica felt 2010 was his best season in F1 as no one expected him and Renault to perform after a dismal 2009 campaign.
Kubica left the team in 2011 to pursue a career in rallying. That year he suffered a serious accident that put his racing career under threat.
After a miraculous recovery, the Pole returned to F1 with Williams – although it was a difficult comeback as he languished at the back of the field. Kubica still races to this day in the World Endurance Championship with Ferrari.
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