Robert Kubica
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Robert Kubica | |
|---|---|
 Robert Kubica in Warsaw, 2006 |
|
| Nationality |  Polish |
| Car # | 4 |
| Current team | BMW Sauber |
| Formula One World Championship career | |
| Races | 29 |
| Championships | 0 |
| Wins | 1 |
| Podium finishes | 5 |
| Pole positions | 1 |
| Career points | 87 |
| Fastest laps | 0 |
| First race | 2006 Hungarian Grand Prix |
| First win | 2008 Canadian Grand Prix |
| Latest win | 2008 Canadian Grand Prix |
| Latest race | 2008 Canadian Grand Prix |
| 2007 position | 6th (39 pts) |
Robert Kubica (pronounced ['robɛrt ku'bit͡sa], listen ; born: December 7, 1984 in Kraków, Poland) is the first Polish racing driver to compete in Formula One. From 2006 he has driven for the BMW Sauber F1 team, promoted from test driver to race driver during 2006. In June 2008 he won the Canadian Grand Prix, his only Formula One victory to date.
Contents |
[edit] Career
[edit] Pre-Formula One
[edit] Karting
Kubica developed his love for all kinds of cars at the young age of four when he spotted a small off-road vehicle, powered by a 4 bhp petrol engine. After long talks with his parents, his father bought him the car and young Kubica spent long hours driving around plastic bottles. When he got older it became apparent that he needed better equipment, so his father bought him a go-kart. However, Robert was too young to start racing in the Polish Karting Championship as he was under the age of ten. When he entered the championship, he won six titles in three years. After his third season, Kubica decided to switch to a more competitive league in Italy. In 1998 Kubica became the first foreigner to win the International Italian Karting Championship.
Kubica also scored second place in the European Karting Championship and won the Monaco Kart Cup held on part of the Formula One Grand Prix track. A year later, he defended his title in Italy and also competed in the International German Karting Championship. He also won the Monaco Kart Cup for the second time in a row, as well as the Margutti Trophy and Elf Masters races. In 2000, his last season in karting, Robert scored fourth places in both the European and World Championships.
[edit] Junior Formulae
Kubica started his professional career in 2000, as a test driver for a Formula Renault 2000 car. During his first professional season in Formula Renault, Kubica scored his maiden pole position and also became a member of Renault's driver development programme. In 2002 Kubica won four races and scored a second place in the Italian Formula Renault 2000. He was also seventh in the Formula Renault Eurocup. At the end of the year he took part in a Brazilian Formula Renault 2000 race held at the Interlagos circuit. This one-off appearance resulted in a dominant win.
After Formula Renault, Kubica moved to the Formula Three Euro Series. However, his move was delayed by a road accident which left him with a broken arm. At his delayed debut at Norisring, Kubica, driving with a plastic brace and 18 titanium bolts in his arm, won the race. He finished the season in 12th place. At the end of the year, Kubica won a street race in Sardinia and came fifth in races held in Macau and Korea. He ended his second season in the Formula 3 Euro Series, spent with the factory Mercedes team, in 7th position. In November 2004, he scored pole position in the Macau F3 Grand Prix, where he broke the lap record, but finished second in the race.
In 2005 he won the World Series by Renault championship with the Epsilon Euskadi team, earning Formula One tests with Renault.
[edit] Formula One
[edit] 2006
In 2006 Kubica became the official third/test driver for the BMW Sauber Formula One team.[1] His results in both Friday testing and private test sessions, along with the words of BMW Sauber's manager Mario Theissen, led to speculation that he would become Poland's first Formula One racing driver in 2007. In August 2006, Kubica's teammate, Jacques Villeneuve, complained about headaches after his accident during the 2006 German Grand Prix at Hockenheim; he was deemed unfit to race by the team, against his own belief, and Kubica was chosen by the team management to replace him at the 2006 Hungarian Grand Prix in Budapest.[1] Kubica qualified ninth, beating his more experienced teammate Nick Heidfeld. In the race, he finished in seventh place, but was disqualified after the race for having an underweight car.[2] Villeneuve decided to leave the BMW Sauber team soon after the race,[3] and it looked certain that Kubica would stay on as Heidfeld's teammate until the end of the season and he might also drive for the team next year. This was confirmed after a BMW spokesperson told reporters that: "Robert Kubica will drive in the remaining races of the season. That is our current plan."[4]
Kubica had a more disappointing race in Turkey, finishing in 12th place after a mistake in tyre choice. Heidfeld, who was delayed in a first-corner accident, placed behind Kubica.
In his third race, the 2006 Italian Grand Prix, Kubica finished in third position, and became the first Polish driver to appear on a Formula One podium, as well as the first Polish driver to lead a Grand Prix. He is one of four drivers in the last decade to finish on the podium within his first three Formula One starts, the others being Ralf Schumacher (Argentina 1997), Alexander Wurz (Great Britain 1997), and Lewis Hamilton (Australia 2007).
In Kubica's fourth race, the 2006 Chinese Grand Prix, he finished 13th, again after a mistake in tyre choice. After going off track at the first turn of the race, he moved from 17th position to fifth, before pitting. He was the first to change to dry tyres from intermediates after the wet track started to dry. This decision was made too early: a very slow next lap in extremely slippery conditions and another pit stop to change back to intermediates cost him his place in the points.
[edit] 2007
Kubica had a fairly good 2007, finishing consistently in point scoring positions. At the 2007 Canadian Grand Prix Kubica had a serious accident approaching the hairpin on lap 27 at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in Montreal. Kubica went off the track after a collision with Jarno Trulli's Toyota [5] and hit a hump in the grass, lifting the car's nose into the air and leaving him unable to brake or steer. The speed measured when his car clipped the barrier was 300.13 km/h[citation needed] (186.49 mph), at a 75 degree angle, subjecting Kubica to an average deceleration of 28g.[6][dead link] After data from the onboard accident data recorder had been analysed it was found that he had been subjected to a peak G-force of 75 G.[7] The car then rolled as it came back across the track, striking the wall on the outside of the hairpin and coming to rest on its side. Under safety car conditions, Kubica was removed from the car and taken to the circuit's medical centre, where he was announced to be "stable", although no information regarding potential injuries was known at this time. Shortly afterwards, his manager Daniele Morelli said Kubica was conscious and talking.[8] It was initially reported that Kubica could have a broken leg.[9] However, Mario Theissen later confirmed that he was not seriously injured.[10][11]
Further reports from late evening on race day, directly from the hospital, confirmed that Kubica had suffered a light concussion alongside a sprained ankle. After being kept in overnight for observation, Kubica left hospital the following day.[12] On June 14 it was announced that Kubica would not race at Indianapolis and would be replaced by Sebastian Vettel.[13] After missing one race, he was allowed to participate at Magny-Cours where he qualified and finished in fourth place, receiving ITV broadcaster Martin Brundle's driver of the day award. He then went on to finish fourth again at the British Grand Prix.
[edit] 2008
Kubica's retention as race driver for 2008 was confirmed on August 21, 2007.[14] Kubica qualified second on the grid at the opening race of the 2008 season, the Australian Grand Prix, behind Lewis Hamilton. He retired from the race after a collision with Kazuki Nakajima.
In the Malaysian Grand Prix, Kubica finished second.
On April 5, 2008 at the 2008 Bahrain Grand Prix, Kubica scored his first pole position of his Formula One career (also first pole for his team), narrowly beating Felipe Massa. He finished the race in third.
On May 25, 2008 at the 2008 Monaco Grand Prix, Kubica finished second, after starting 5th on the grid.
On June 8, 2008 at the 2008 Canadian Grand Prix, Kubica achieved his first ever victory after starting in 2nd, putting him in the Championship lead.[15] Kubica effectively won the race in the pit lane, first passing race leader Lewis Hamilton after the BMW pit crew completed a faster pitstop. Kubica and Kimi Räikkönen's Ferrari halted at the pit lane exit, waiting for the red light pit exit light. However, Lewis Hamilton, running immediately behind them, missed the light and crashed into Räikkönen's Ferrari. Kubica rejoined the race well positioned for the eventual victory.
Nick Heidfeld in the other BMW Sauber, running a one stop fuel strategy, briefly positioned himself in front of Kubica after a pit stop, but running a much heavier car, lost the lead to his team-mate. Heidfeld then kept a charging Fernando Alonso at bay, and Kubica's victory was never challenged again for the remainder of the race. Kubica later thanked Hamilton for electing to crash into Räikkönen instead of him.[16]
[edit] Racing record
[edit] Career summary
| Season | Series | Team Name | Races | Poles | Wins | Points | Final Placing |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | Formula Renault 2000 Eurocup | RC Motorsport | 10 | 1 | 0 | 46 | 14th |
| Formula Renault 2000 Italy | RC Motorsport | 5 | 0 | 0 | 27 | 13th | |
| 2002 | Formula Renault 2000 Eurocup | RC Motorsport | 8 | 1 | 0 | 80 | 7th |
| Formula Renault 2000 Italy | RC Motorsport | 10 | 3 | 4 | 188 | 2nd | |
| Formula Renault 2000 Brazil | RS2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | ? | ? | |
| 2003 | Formula Three Euroseries | Prema Powerteam | 13 | 0 | 1 | 31 | 12th |
| British Formula Three | Prema Powerteam | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | NC | |
| Macau Grand Prix | ? | 1 | 0 | 0 | N/A | NC | |
| Masters of Formula Three | ? | 1 | 0 | 0 | N/A | 33rd | |
| F3 Korean Superprix | Target Racing | 1 | 0 | 0 | N/A | 6th | |
| 2004 | Formula Three Euroseries | Mücke Motorsport | 20 | 0 | 0 | 53 | 7th |
| Macau Grand Prix | Manor Motorsport | 1 | 1 | 0 | N/A | 2nd | |
| 2005 | World Series by Renault | Epsilon Euskadi | 17 | 3 | 4 | 154 | 1st |
| Macau Grand Prix | Carlin Motorsport | 1 | 0 | 0 | N/A | 2nd | |
| 2006 | Formula One | BMW Sauber | 6 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 16th |
| 2007 | Formula One | BMW Sauber | 16 | 0 | 0 | 39 | 6th |
| 2008 | Formula One | BMW Sauber | 7 | 1 | 1 | 42 | 1st* |
* Season in progress
[edit] Complete Formula One results
(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)
| Year | Entrant | Chassis | Engine | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | WDC | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | BMW Sauber F1 Team | BMW Sauber F1.06 | BMW P86 2.4 V8 | BHR TD |
MAL TD |
AUS TD |
SMR TD |
EUR TD |
ESP TD |
MON TD |
GBR TD |
CAN TD |
USA TD |
FRA TD |
GER TD |
HUN DSQ |
TUR 12 |
ITA 3 |
CHN 13 |
JPN 9 |
BRA 9 |
16th | 6 |
| 2007 | BMW Sauber F1 Team | BMW Sauber F1.07 | BMW P86/7 2.4 V8 | AUS Ret |
MAL 18 |
BHR 6 |
ESP 4 |
MON 5 |
CAN Ret |
USA Inj |
FRA 4 |
GBR 4 |
EUR 7 |
HUN 5 |
TUR 8 |
ITA 5 |
BEL 9 |
JPN 7 |
CHN Ret |
BRA 5 |
6th | 39 | |
| 2008 | BMW Sauber F1 Team | BMW Sauber F1.08 | BMW P86/8 2.4 V8 | AUS Ret |
MAL 2 |
BHR 3 |
ESP 4 |
TUR 4 |
MON 2 |
CAN 1 |
FRA |
GBR |
GER |
HUN |
EUR |
BEL |
ITA |
SIN |
JPN |
CHN |
BRA |
1st* | 42* |
* Season in progress
[edit] Miscellaneous
Kubica said in an interview that his sporting hero is English snooker player Ronnie O'Sullivan, which left the interviewer confused, wondering which driver he was. Kubica enjoys snooker and is a keen poker player.[17]
[edit] Footnotes
- ^ BMW snaps up Kubica ITV-F1.com. Reported on site Thursday, 22, December, 2005, 01:33
- ^ Kubica disqualified, Schumacher scores Formula1.com. Retrieved Unknown
- ^ Villeneuve parts company with BMW news.bbc.co.uk. Retrieved Unknown
- ^ Kubica wird Saison zu Ende fahren F1Racing.net (German) translated version. Retrieved 22 August 2006
- ^ "Reaction: Toyota, Red Bull and Honda", sportinglife.com, 2007-06-10. Retrieved on 2007-06-11.
- ^ "Mark Hughes on Kubica", itv-f1.com, 2007-06-13. Retrieved on 2007-06-13.
- ^ "Kubica's crash data disclosed", autosport.com, 2007-06-20. Retrieved on 2007-06-20.
- ^ "Canadian Grand Prix", news.bbc.co.uk, 2007-06-10. Retrieved on 2007-06-11.
- ^ "UPDATE: Kubica has broken leg", crash.net, 2007-06-10. Retrieved on 2007-06-10.
- ^ "Unhurt Kubica to leave hospital on Monday", homeofsport.com, 2007-06-10. Retrieved on 2007-06-10.
- ^ ABC News: ABC News
- ^ "Kubica leaves hospital after crash in Montreal", iht.com, 2007-06-11. Retrieved on 2007-06-11.
- ^ "Vettel to replace Kubica at Indianapolis", autosport.com, 2007-06-14. Retrieved on 2007-06-14.
- ^ "Heidfeld and Kubica stay at BMW", news.bbc.co.uk, 2007-08-21. Retrieved on 2007-08-21.
- ^ http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/motorsport/formula_one/7443153.stm
- ^ "Kubica celebrates first win as Hamilton rues pit-stop shunt", The Independent, 2008-06-09.
- ^ 'Kubica takes his cue from snooker's O'Sullivan', Reuters UK, January 14, 2008
[edit] References
All Formula One race and championship results are taken from:
- Official Formula 1 Website. Archive: Results for 2006 - Present seasons Formula1.com. Retrieved 22 August 2006
[edit] External links
- Official web site
- Fans Website
- Formula One Polish site
- Robert Kubica english fan site
- Robert Kubica's Unofficial english Fan Site
- Career details
- Kubica statistics in Formula One
- Robert Kubica Fan Club
| Sporting positions | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Heikki Kovalainen |
World Series by Renault Champion 2005 |
Succeeded by Alx Danielsson |
| Awards | ||
| Preceded by Felipe Massa |
Lorenzo Bandini Trophy 2008 |
Succeeded by incumbent |
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