Why I hope Robert Kubica does return to F1 full time
I've had the pleasure of some passenger laps with him and he is incredible.
I am a big fan of Robert Kubica and, like so many who have met this extraordinary man, I am delighted that the Williams Formula One team has retained his services as reserve and development driver for 2018.
Of course we all hoped that the seemingly impossible would come to pass and Kubica would join the team to race alongside Lance Stroll. For a time everything appeared to be going his way, his recovery from horrendous injuries a testament to his courage and determination. Then came the news that Sergey Sirotkin had been given the race seat, bringing much-needed funds to Grove from his backers in Russia.
Last summer the immensely popular Pole came to the Festival of Speed to drive Renault's F1 car on the hill. He'd been testing with the French team and it was assumed that, if he came back to the sport, it would be with Renault.
The response to his presence in the Festival F1 paddock was remarkable, Polish fans gathering around the car, waving the national flag, and clamouring for autographs. Kubica, as ever, made time for them, posed for selfies with good humour, and seemed genuinely chuffed to see so many of his fellow countrymen.
I will never forget the first time I came across the man who will be back in the F1 paddock this season having made such an incredible recovery from injuries sustained while rallying for fun. Kubica was driving demo laps for guests at one of our Goodwood track days and suggested I sit alongside him for a few quick laps. What I didn't know was just what he meant by quick. We went rapidly through a set of tyres, travelling sideways for much of the time, the BMW at angles for which it was surely never designed. His enthusiasm for the sheer fun of driving was a joy to behold. Back in the pits, the car full of tyre smoke, he was grinning from ear to ear.
" I loved it, I love this track, very fast, yeah,very fast, fantastic," he said as we climbed out. Of course I immediately suggested he should come to the Festival to entertain the fans in a Formula 1 car.
Who knows what he might have achieved had he not been tempted to try a rally car but he was surely a future World Champion. Perhaps we should not be using the past tense now that Poland's first, and only, Grand Prix driver has his feet back on the pedals at Williams on Fridays.
Robert Kubica has made it clear that his target remains a return to the World Championship as a racer. Meanwhile there will always be a space for him on the grid at the Revival....
Photography by James Lynch
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Comments (6)
It will be faster than possible :) but nice sounds :) www.youtube.com/watch?v=fiXCUS5-sGQ
Welcome to Drivetribe Marrally!
I love Kubica, but I would've loved to have seen Di Resta back too! Under-appreciated as far as I'm concerned. On topic, If Sirotkin was faster ( which I believe he was, from reports) and brings a bag of money, he ought to get the seat. Let's just hope that Grove gives Stroll and his Russian counterpart a car that they can compete with, that should give us all the insight we need as to which driver deserves to be there. Both of them are new-ish. With a really fast car, one of them should shine. Perhaps we could see a nice surprise.
He would surely be better than Sirotkin, or stroll, who performs only on a few tracks.
and everyones must see this by DaroGP www.youtube.com/watch?v=AWKXua3Bhtk Try walking in my shoe
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