It is rare for a single racing driver to put an entire nation on the sporting map but that’s exactly what Robert Kubica did when he made his Formula 1 debut at the 2006 Hungarian Grand Prix.
Poland had never come close to having an F1 driver but Krakow-born Kubica did that and so much more, including taking a podium in only his third ever grand prix and his one and only win in his 29th at Montreal in 2008.
On the cusp of becoming a Ferrari driver for the 2012 season, Kubica’s F1 title aspirations came crashing to earth amid a shocking accident partially amputated his right arm while competing on the 2011 Ronde di Andora rally.
After a long recuperation period Kubica astounded all by returning to F1 with Williams in 2019, but only after he had taken the 2013 World Rally Championship-2.
His remarkable racing story also includes a Formula Renault 3.5 title in 2005, a European Le Mans Series triumph in 2021 and two FIA World Endurance Championship wins.
He sits at the head of the LMP2 points table in the 2023 WEC with Team WRT team-mates Rui Andrade and Louis Deletraz, enjoying a significant points advantage over the competition with one round to go in Bahrain on November 4.
Kubica took time out of his schedule ahead of the recent WEC round at Fuji in Japan to tackle the MN readers’ questions, and we are grateful.
Question: What was it like starting out in motorsport in Poland as a youngster? Was there much of a motorsport scene as an Eastern Bloc country and just afterwards?
James Hilton
Via email
Robert Kubica: “Well, I would say it was very exotic, actually. In the beginning of the late 1980s and beginning of the ’90s, motorsport was pretty popular. But it was really rallies where we have always a strong history of good rally drivers, but karting was still on a reasonable level also.
“But it was very small group of people who knew what karting was. It was not so common, let’s say, to be a karting driver and 99% of people when you were talking about karts didn’t have an idea what you were talking about really.”
Question: When did you first realise that you had a talent for motorsport?
Abi Crowther
Via email
: “To be honest, I didn’t really [realise he had a talent]. Yes, I have been winning quite soon, actually
