Robert Kubica facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

Quick facts for kids Robert Kubica
Kubica in 2023
Born	Robert Józef Kubica (1984-12-07) 7 December 1984 (age 40) Kraków, Poland

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	27 (27 entries)
Championships	1 (2023)
Wins	5
Podiums	10
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	2021–2025
Teams	WRT, Prema, AF Corse
Best finish	1st (2025)
Class wins	1 (2025)

Robert Józef Kubica (born December 7, 1984) is a Polish racing driver and rally driver. He is famous for being the first and only Polish driver to race in Formula One. He even won the 2008 Canadian Grand Prix.

Kubica's career is a story of amazing talent and incredible determination. After a great start in Formula One, he suffered a life-changing accident in 2011 that seriously injured his arm. Many thought he would never race again.

However, Kubica made a stunning comeback. He first returned to racing in rallies and later made it all the way back to Formula One in 2019. Today, he competes in the FIA World Endurance Championship, where he has won the famous 24 Hours of Le Mans race.

Early Racing Life
- From Karts to Cars
Formula One Career
The Incredible Comeback
- Return to Racing
- Back to Formula One
A New Chapter in Racing
- Success in Endurance Racing
Images for kids
See also

Early Racing Life

From Karts to Cars

Kubica with the Epsilon Euskadi racing team

Robert Kubica's love for cars started when he was just four years old. His dad bought him a small off-road car, and he spent hours driving it. Soon, he moved to go-karts. Because he was so young, he had to wait until he was ten to enter the Polish Karting Championship. Once he did, he won six titles in three years!

To face tougher competition, Kubica moved to Italy. In 1998, he became the first non-Italian to win the International Italian Junior Karting Championship. He continued to win major karting events, showing everyone how talented he was.

In 2001, Kubica moved up to single-seater cars in Formula Renault. He quickly showed his speed, winning races and earning a spot in Renault's program for young drivers. After a successful time in Formula Renault and Formula Three, he won the World Series by Renault championship in 2005. This victory got him a test drive with the Renault Formula One team.

Formula One Career

Poland's First F1 Star

Kubica as a test driver for BMW Sauber at the 2006 United States Grand Prix

In 2006, Kubica became the reserve driver for the BMW Sauber F1 team. He got his big break at the 2006 Hungarian Grand Prix when the team's main driver, Jacques Villeneuve, couldn't race. Kubica stepped in and became the first Polish driver in Formula One history.

He impressed everyone right away. In only his third race, the 2006 Italian Grand Prix, he finished in third place. This made him the first Polish driver to stand on an F1 podium.

A Scary Crash and a Famous Win

Kubica's car after his huge crash at the 2007 Canadian Grand Prix.

The 2007 season showed how dangerous motorsports can be. At the 2007 Canadian Grand Prix, Kubica had a terrifying crash. His car hit a wall at over 300 km/h (186 mph) and flipped across the track. Miraculously, he only suffered a sprained ankle and a minor concussion. He missed just one race before returning.

One year later, at the very same track in Canada, Kubica had the best day of his F1 career. He won the 2008 Canadian Grand Prix, his first and only Formula One victory. For a while, he was even leading the world championship. He finished the season in fourth place, his best-ever result.

A Career-Changing Accident

After a few more seasons with BMW Sauber and Renault, Kubica's F1 career came to a sudden halt. On February 6, 2011, he was taking part in a rally in Italy to sharpen his driving skills. He had a serious accident where a crash barrier pierced his car, causing severe injuries to his right arm, shoulder, and leg.

Doctors worked for hours to save his hand, and it was unclear if he would ever be able to race again. He told a newspaper he was determined to return, but a full recovery would be a long and difficult journey.

The Incredible Comeback

Return to Racing

Kubica driving in the World Rally Championship in 2013.

Kubica's determination was incredible. He started his return to motorsport in 2012 by competing in rallies. In 2013, he won the World Rally Championship 2 title, proving he still had the speed and skill to compete at a high level.

Even with his success in rallying, his dream was to return to Formula One. The tight space inside an F1 car's cockpit made it very difficult because of the limited movement in his injured arm. But he never gave up.

Back to Formula One

Kubica racing for Williams at the 2019 Austrian Grand Prix.

In 2017, Kubica began testing F1 cars again with Renault and then Williams. He showed that he could still handle the incredible power and speed of a Formula One car.

In 2018, he became the reserve driver for the Williams team. Then, for the 2019 season, he achieved what many thought was impossible: he was announced as a full-time Williams race driver. It was one of the greatest comeback stories in sports history.

His return season was tough because the Williams car was not very competitive. However, at the 2019 German Grand Prix, he finished in 10th place, scoring a championship point. This marked the longest time ever between two points finishes for a driver in F1 history.

After 2019, Kubica became a reserve driver for Alfa Romeo. He even raced for them in two Grands Prix in 2021 when one of the main drivers was unable to compete.

A New Chapter in Racing

Success in Endurance Racing

Kubica racing in the World Endurance Championship in 2023.

After his F1 comeback, Kubica found new success in endurance racing. This type of racing involves long races, often lasting 6, 8, or even 24 hours, with teams of drivers sharing one car.

In 2021, he won the European Le Mans Series championship. In 2023, he became the LMP2 class champion in the FIA World Endurance Championship.

In 2024, Kubica moved up to the top Hypercar class, driving for AF Corse, a team associated with Ferrari. He won the Lone Star Le Mans race in the United States, joining a small group of drivers who have won both a Formula One race and a World Endurance Championship race. In 2025, he achieved a lifelong dream by winning the legendary 24 Hours of Le Mans race, becoming the first Polish driver ever to do so.