Anyone who closely followed last year's Formula 1 World Championship racing season will be familiar with Robert Kubica's name and accomplishments. The young driver showed exceptional skill, precision and constancy, in faultless driving that earned him a 6th place overall final ranking. We are all looking forward to great results from the Polish driver as he continues on into the 2008 calendar.
Robert Kubica was born in Krakow on December 7, 1984. As a four-year-old boy, he spent fast days in his little off-roader, speeding around plastic bottles in his yard, waiting to reach the mandatory age-ten requirement to enter the Polish Karting Championship. In the late 90s, he won the Italian International Championship, the first foreigner ever to do so in the series. He also scored second place in the European Championship and won the prestigious Monaco Kart Cup. The following year, he added the German International Karting Championship to his achievements, along with the Margutti Trophy and the ELF Masters Race. In his last season in karting in 2000, he scored fourth place overall in both the European and World Championships, and earned himself a first test drive aboard a Formula Renault 2000 car. His first season in full-sized auto racing saw him pick up a first pole position. In 2002, he scored second place in Italian Formula Renault 2000, while also claiming seventh place in Formula Renault Eurocup. His move to Formula 3 Euro Series was delayed by a road accident (as a passenger) which left him with serious injuries to his right arm. Wearing a brace and 18 titanium screws for his first race at Norisring, he nevertheless took first place – before 126,000 spectators. In November 2004, he took pole position at the Macau F3 Grand Prix, his favourite circuit, then broke the track lap record and finished second. An excellent performance by Kubica during his test with Epsilon Euskadi in World Series by Renault earned the young driver a contract for the 2005 season. In Zolder, his first race in the new category, Robert scored an outstanding third, against a field of more experienced rivals. A second win at Zolder gave him the lead in the standings and, in Estoril, three races before the end of the season, he was crowned Champion, with a total of four wins and solidly excellent results. In late 2005, Robert participated in his third Macau F3 Grand Prix and took second place. His true reward came shortly thereafter, when he was granted a test with an F1 team in Barcelona. His lap times were stunning and three weeks later, he was signed on by the BMW Sauber F1 Team as a test driver, as well as substitute and Friday driver for the 2006 season. On August 6, in Budapest, under his new mantle as official driver, Robert drove an impressive race, unrewarded because of a technical problem. Robert set the record straight later in Monza, with a fabulous third-place podium finish.
Robert’s exceptional regularity and impeccable driving precision heeds an even more interesting 2008 season, as he continues to draw attention. Few drivers can boast having finished their first six races in Formula 1 without a glitch, as he did back in 2006. With 39 World Championship points in 2007, and three almost-podium 4th-place finishes, Robert is set for an exciting season this year, with the commitment and support of the BMW Sauber F1 Team and his sponsors. Robert Kubica is one of the most talented drivers in the 2008 line-up, and the world should watch him closely!
