Robert Kubica facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Robert Kubica
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Kubica in 2023
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Robert Józef Kubica
7 December 1984 Kraków, Poland
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| FIA World Endurance Championship career | |
| Debut season | 2019 |
| Current team | AF Corse |
| Racing licence |  FIA Platinum |
| Car no. | 83 |
| Former teams | HCR, Prema, WRT |
| Starts | 23 (23 entries) |
| Championships | 1 (2023) |
| Wins | 4 |
| Podiums | 8 |
| Poles | 0 |
| Fastest laps | 0 |
| Best finish | 1st in 2023 (LMP2) |
| European Le Mans Series career | |
| Debut season | 2021 |
| Current team | AO |
| Car no. | 14 |
| Former teams | WRT |
| Starts | 12 |
| Championships | 2 (2021, 2024) |
| Wins | 4 |
| Podiums | 8 |
| Poles | 1 |
| Fastest laps | 0 |
| Best finish | 1st in 2021, 2024 (LMP2) |
| Formula One World Championship career | |
| Nationality |  Polish |
| Active years | 2006–2010, 2019, 2021 |
| Teams | BMW Sauber, Renault, Williams, Alfa Romeo |
| Car number | 88 |
| Entries | 99 (99 starts) |
| Championships | 0 |
| Wins | 1 |
| Podiums | 12 |
| Career points | 274 |
| Pole positions | 1 |
| Fastest laps | 1 |
| First entry | 2006 Hungarian Grand Prix |
| First win | 2008 Canadian Grand Prix |
| Last entry | 2021 Italian Grand Prix |
| World Rally Championship record | |
| Active years | 2013–2016 |
| Co-driver | Maciej Baran Michele Ferrara Maciej Szczepaniak |
| Teams | M-Sport, Citroën |
| Rallies | 33 |
| Championships | 0 |
| Rally wins | 0 |
| Podiums | 0 |
| Stage wins | 14 |
| Total points | 43 |
| First rally | 2013 Rally de Portugal |
| Last rally | 2016 Monte Carlo Rally |
| 24 Hours of Le Mans career | |
| Years | 2021–2024 |
| Teams | WRT, Prema, AF Corse |
| Best finish | 6th (2022) |
| Class wins | 0 |
Robert Józef Kubica (born December 7, 1984) is a famous Polish race car driver and rally driver. He currently competes in the FIA World Endurance Championship for AF Corse and in the European Le Mans Series for AO. Robert Kubica is well-known for racing in Formula One from 2006 to 2021. He is the only Polish driver ever to compete in Formula One. In 2008, he won the 2008 Canadian Grand Prix with the BMW Sauber team. He also won the 2023 FIA World Endurance Championship in the LMP2 class with WRT.
From 2006 to 2009, Kubica drove for the BMW Sauber F1 team. He started as a test driver and quickly became a main race driver in 2006. In June 2008, he achieved his first and only Formula One win at the Canadian Grand Prix. This was also the only win for the Sauber team. That year, he even led the championship for a while, finishing fourth overall. This was his best career position in Formula One.
Kubica was supposed to drive for Renault in 2011. He had even signed a special agreement to join Ferrari for the 2012 season. However, a very serious rally crash in early 2011 changed everything.
Contents
A Serious Rally Accident and Amazing Comeback
On February 6, 2011, Robert Kubica was badly hurt in a crash during the Ronde di Andora rally. His car went off the road and hit a safety barrier. He suffered severe injuries to his right arm, elbow, shoulder, and leg. He lost a lot of blood and was stuck in the car for over an hour.
After being rescued, he was flown to a hospital. Doctors performed a seven-hour operation on his arm. He had more operations later to fix his leg, shoulder, and arm. Kubica was determined to return to racing. He told an Italian newspaper that he could feel his fingers and wanted to get back to Formula One.
At first, he thought returning to Formula One would be "almost impossible" because of his injuries. But he later took part in tests with Renault and Williams, showing that a comeback was possible.
Returning to Racing after Injury
Kubica made his racing comeback in September 2012. He won a small rally race in Italy. Top Gear magazine even named him one of "The Men of the Year 2012" for his incredible return.
In 2013, he focused on rally racing. He drove for Citroën in the European and WRC2 Championships. He won the first-ever WRC-2 title. After that, he moved to the main WRC championship in 2014, driving a Ford Fiesta RS WRC.
Formula One Comeback
On January 16, 2018, it was announced that Kubica would become the reserve driver for the Williams Formula One team. This meant he would practice and be ready to race if a main driver couldn't.
Full-Time Return to Formula One
On November 22, 2018, Williams announced that Robert Kubica would be a full-time race driver for the 2019 Formula One season. He partnered with George Russell. Kubica chose the number 88 for his car.
The Williams team had a tough season in 2019. Their car, the FW42, was the slowest on the track. However, Kubica still managed to score a point at the 2019 German Grand Prix. He finished 12th but was moved up to 10th after other drivers received penalties. This was his first point since his return to F1, and it set a record for the longest time between points finishes.
On September 19, 2019, Kubica announced he would leave Williams at the end of the season. He then became a reserve and test driver for Alfa Romeo.
Time with Alfa Romeo
Kubica joined Alfa Romeo Racing as a reserve driver for the 2020 season. He had actually made his Formula One debut with this team in 2006 when it was called BMW Sauber. He took part in practice sessions throughout 2020.
In 2021, Robert Kubica got a chance to race again. He replaced Kimi Räikkönen at the Dutch and Italian Grands Prix because Räikkönen tested positive for COVID-19. Kubica finished 15th in the Dutch Grand Prix and 14th in the Italian Grand Prix.
He continued as a reserve and test driver for Alfa Romeo in 2022. However, Alfa Romeo's main sponsor, Orlen, moved to another team for 2023, so Kubica left Alfa Romeo.
Early Racing Days
Starting with Karting
Robert Kubica loved cars from a very young age. When he was four, his father bought him a small off-road vehicle. He spent hours driving it around. As he got older, he needed better equipment, so his father bought him a go-kart.
Kubica was too young to race in the Polish Karting Championship at first. But once he was old enough, he won six titles in just three years! After that, he moved to Italy to race in a more competitive series. In 1998, he became the first non-Italian to win the International Italian Junior Karting Championship.
He also finished second in the European Junior Karting Championship and won the Junior Monaco Kart Cup. This race is held on part of the famous Monaco Formula One track. The next year, he won his Italian title again and also competed in Germany. He won the Monaco Kart Cup for a second time, along with other races. In 2000, his last year in karting, he finished fourth in both the European and World Championships.
Moving to Junior Racing Series
Formula Renault 2.0 (2000–2002)
In 2000, Kubica started his professional racing career as a test driver for a Formula Renault 2000 car. In his first season, he got his first pole position. He also joined Renault's program for young drivers. In 2002, Kubica won four races and finished second in the Italian Formula Renault 2000. He was also seventh in the Formula Renault Eurocup. He even won a special race in Brazil.
Formula Three (2003–2004)
After Formula Renault, Kubica planned to move to the Formula 3 Euro Series. But he had a road accident that broke his arm. He raced with a plastic brace and metal screws in his arm. At his first race in Norisring, he won! He finished the season in 12th place. He also won a street race in Sardinia and did well in other international races. In 2004, he got pole position at the Macau F3 Grand Prix and finished second.
Formula Renault 3.5 (2005)
In 2005, Robert Kubica won the World Series by Renault championship with the Epsilon Euskadi team. This big win earned him a chance to test Formula One cars for Renault.
Formula One Career Highlights
Test Driver Role
Kubica was almost going to drive a Minardi F1 car in practice sessions in 2005. But he didn't get the special license needed. He did get to test a Renault F1 car in December 2005.
Racing with BMW Sauber (2006–2009)
First Polish F1 Driver (2006–2007)
In 2006, Kubica became the official reserve driver for the BMW Sauber Formula One team. His strong test results made people think he would soon become Poland's first Formula One driver. In August 2006, his teammate, Jacques Villeneuve, couldn't race. So, Kubica was chosen to replace him at the 2006 Hungarian Grand Prix. He qualified ninth and finished seventh in the race. But he was later disqualified because his car was too light. Villeneuve left the team, and Kubica became a full-time driver for the rest of the season.
In his third race, the 2006 Italian Grand Prix, Kubica finished third! He became the first Polish driver to stand on a Formula One podium. He was also the first Polish driver to lead a Grand Prix. This was a huge achievement so early in his career.
Kubica had a good 2007 season, often finishing in the points. However, at the 2007 Canadian Grand Prix, he had a very serious crash. His car hit a wall at high speed and rolled. The car was badly damaged. Luckily, Kubica was not seriously hurt, only suffering a light concussion and a sprained ankle. He missed one race but returned for the next, finishing fourth.
Maiden Formula One Win (2008)
Kubica continued to drive for BMW Sauber in 2008. He started the season strongly, getting his and BMW Sauber's first pole position at the 2008 Bahrain Grand Prix. He also finished second in Malaysia and Monaco.
On June 8, 2008, at the 2008 Canadian Grand Prix, Kubica won his first Formula One race! He started second. During a pit stop, he passed race leader Lewis Hamilton. Hamilton then crashed into another car, leaving Kubica in a great position to win. This victory put Kubica in the lead of the Drivers' Championship.
Later in the season, BMW Sauber's results weren't as strong. But Kubica still had some great races. In Japan, he started sixth but took the lead early on. He finished second there. He also got podium finishes in Valencia and Monza. Kubica ended the year in fourth place in the Drivers' Championship.
Leaving BMW Sauber (2009)
At the first race of the 2009 season in Australia, Kubica qualified fourth. He was running third in the race but crashed after contact with Sebastian Vettel. BMW's director said Kubica would have won if not for the crash.
The 2009 season was tough for BMW Sauber. Their car was not very competitive. Kubica scored his first points of the season in Turkey, finishing seventh. He also had a strong fourth place in Belgium.
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At the 2009 Brazilian Grand Prix, Kubica got his first podium of the season, finishing second. This was a great result for him and the team. On July 29, 2009, BMW announced they would leave Formula One. This meant Kubica was free to join another team. For 2010, he signed with Renault F1, the team he had tested for as a junior.
Time with Renault (2010–2011)
First Season at Renault (2010)
Kubica moved to the Renault team for 2010. There were some questions about the team's future, but Kubica decided to stay. His teammate was Vitaly Petrov.
At the second race in Australia, Kubica finished second after starting ninth. He also finished fourth in Malaysia and fifth in China. He got another podium in Monaco, finishing third.
In Canada, Kubica finished seventh and set the fastest lap of the race, his first ever. He got his third podium of the season in Belgium, finishing third. He was very competitive throughout the weekend.
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Many experts said Kubica was one of the best drivers that season. He showed great skill on challenging tracks like Monaco and Spa. He often finished on the podium behind the faster Red Bull cars.
Rally Accident Ends 2011 Season
Kubica was set to continue with Renault (now called Lotus Renault GP) for the 2011 season. He tested the new car and set the fastest time on one day. But just three days later, he had his serious rally accident in Andorra. Because of his injuries, he couldn't start the season. Renault signed Nick Heidfeld to replace him. Kubica was released from the hospital in April 2011 and began his recovery. It was later confirmed he wouldn't be ready for the start of the 2012 season either.
Later Career in Motorsport
Rallying (2013–2016)
In 2013, Kubica continued his comeback in rallying. He drove for Citroën in the European and WRC2 Championships. He won five races in the WRC2 series and became the champion! He then moved to the main World Rally Championship in 2014.
In 2014, he won the Internationale Jänner Rallye, his first victory in that championship. He also won the "Ice Master" trophy for being the best driver in snow events. For the rest of the season, he competed in the main WRC class. He was often fast but had some bad luck and crashes. His best result was a 6th place in Argentina. He finished the year by winning the non-championship Monza Rally Show. In 2016, he only competed in one WRC rally due to lack of funding.
Sportscar Racing (2016–Present)
GT3 and LMP1 (2016–2017)
In 2016, Kubica raced in some GT3 events. In January 2017, he took part in the Dubai 24 Hour race. In February 2017, he signed with the ByKolles LMP1 team for the FIA World Endurance Championship. He had tested their car and was very fast. However, after pre-season testing, he decided not to participate in the season.
FIA World Endurance Championship (2021–Present)
Kubica joined the World Endurance Championship (WEC) in 2021. He competed in the LMP2 class.
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In 2022, he joined the Prema Orlen Team for the WEC season. He also competed in the famous 24 Hours of Le Mans race. In 2023, Kubica returned to Team WRT and won the LMP2 class championship!
For the 2024 season, Kubica moved up to the top Hypercar class with AF Corse. On September 1, he won the Lone Star Le Mans race. This made him only the third driver in history to win both a Formula 1 race and a WEC race, after Fernando Alonso and Mark Webber.
Images for kids
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Kubica at the 2019 Chinese Grand Prix
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Kubica at the 2019 Hungarian Grand Prix
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Kubica driving for Alfa Romeo during free practice for the 2022 French Grand Prix.
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Kubica at the 2019 Austrian Grand Prix
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See also
In Spanish: Robert Kubica para niños
