Born: December 7, 1984, Cracow, Poland
Early days. 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 gaz engine. After long talks, his father, Artur, 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. When he entered the Polish Karting 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 he became the first foreigner to win the International Italian Junior Karting Championship. Kubica also scored second place in the European Junior Karting Championship and won the Junior 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, Kubica scored fourth places in both the European and World Championships.
Junior Formulae. Kubica started his professional career in 2000, as a test driver for a Formula Renault 2000 car. 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. After Formula Renault, Kubica moved to the Formula Three Euro Series delayed by a road accident which left him with a broken arm, and titanium screws holding it together. At his delayed debut at Norisring, Kubica, driving with a plastic brace and 18 titanium bolts in his arm, won the race. 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 in 7th position. In 2005 he won the World Series by Renault championship with the Epsilon Euskadi team, earning Formula One tests with Renault.
Formula One. 2006. In 2006 Kubica became the official third/test driver for the BMW Sauber Formula One team. In August 2006 Kubica was chosen by the team management to replace Jacques Villeneuve who had headaches after an accident. Villeneuve decided to leave the BMW Sauber team soon after the race, and it looked certain that Kubica would stay on as Heidfeld's teammate until the end of the season. This was confirmed after a BMW spokesperson told reporters that: "Robert Kubica will drive in the remaining races of the season." 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 only two drivers in the last decade to finish on the podium within his first three Formula One starts. In Kubica's fourth race, the 2006 Chinese Grand Prix, he finished 13th.
2007. Kubica performed well during the 2007 season, finishing consistently in point scoring positions. At the 2007 Canadian Grand Prix Kubica had a serious crash approaching the hairpin on lap 27 at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in Montreal, in which his car became airborne and crashed. The speed measured when his car clipped the barrier was 300.13 km/h (186.49 mph), at a 75 degree angle, subjecting Kubica to an average deceleration of 28g. Under safety car conditions, Kubica was removed from the car and taken to the circuit's medical centre. Mario Theissen later confirmed that Kubica was not seriously injured. 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 missing Indianapolis, he returned for the French Grand Prix 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.
2008.Kubica's retention as race driver for 2008 was confirmed on August 21, 2007. Kubica qualified second on the grid at the opening race of the 2008 season, the Australian Grand Prix. 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. He finished the race in third. At the 2008 Monaco Grand Prix, Kubica finished second, after starting 5th on the grid. At the 2008 Canadian Grand Prix, Kubica achieved his first ever victory after starting in 2nd, putting him in the Championship lead. Kubica effectively won the race in the pit lane. Kubica and Kimi Raikkanen's Ferrari duly halted at the pit lane exit, waiting for the red pit exit light to change. However, Lewis Hamilton, running immediately behind them, missed the light and crashed into Raikkanen's Ferrari, eliminating both cars from the race. 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, was overtaken by his lighter team-mate. Heidfeld then kept a charging Fernando Alonso at bay. The strategy of BMW Sauber required one more pit stop for Kubica. To beat Heidfield, Kubica needed to gain at least 24 seconds on his team-mate over 22 laps, and after the last pit stop he emerged just a second ahead of Heidfeld. Kubica's victory was never challenged for the remainder of the race, with BMW taking first and the second. At the French Grand Prix at Magny-Cours, Kubica finished 5th. Kubica has been confirmed as staying with BMW Sauber for the 2009 season. At the Japanese Grand Prix Kubica qualified sixth.
This article is an abbreviated version of the Wikipedia article "Robert Kubica" licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. :
Wikipedia
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CBS Sports (track stats)
Robert Kubica Fans (many photos)
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