There have been instances in the previous couple of years when Robert Cubica He mentioned he was contemplating giving up Motorsport. No extra. These ideas have lengthy gone.
“I assumed it could be time to search out new challenges,” Cubica mentioned in an April interview. “Not that I did not prefer to compete and I did not need to compete, however I simply thought that once I was approaching 40, I used to be now, and I wasn’t tremendous happy with the place I used to be.
“In the long run, I spotted that if I ended, I’d miss the races, so I continued. What gave me the endurance races was recent air.”
Route Kubica, who will drive within the 6 hours of spa Franchamep in Belgium on Saturday, has taken to the Hypercar class of FIA World Endurance Championship is worthy of a Netflix documentary.
After 5 years in System 1 of 2006, 4 with BMW after which a 12 months with Renault, Kubica signed a contract for becoming a member of Ferrari. In February 2011, he was virtually killed in a crash within the rally of the Ronda di Andorra in Italy.
Many operations and intensive rehabilitation adopted. Cubica restored her life and profession, returning to competitions in 2013 and received the second stage of the World Rally Championship in the identical 12 months.
“System 1 was my life,” Cubica mentioned. “Not many individuals understood once I obtained again to competitions, why rallies. Simply because I wished to present myself a giant problem. The raling saved my head very busy and I needed to check myself.
“I wished to see what I may do, how aggressive I might be. I did not simply need to be a quantity.”
Cubica, which is Polish, wished to return to System 1. After a 12 months as a reserve driver with Williams in 2018, the group gave him the chance subsequent season. Cubica scored one level from the finals in tenth place within the German grand.
“My return to System One was considered one of my largest, if not essentially the most nice achievements in my life,” Cubica mentioned. “Nevertheless it was a really disappointing 12 months, not just for me, but additionally many individuals within the group.
“It needed to be very totally different. It was nonetheless particular. Nobody gave me an opportunity, however I labored laborious for it and I’d by no means do it if I did not really feel capable of be aggressive.”
Cubica continued as a backup driver with Alfa Romeo for 3 years, however he knew the dream of System One was over. In 2021, he moved to endurance competitions.
In the identical 12 months, he received three competitions on his option to successful the LMP2 class of the European Le Mans collection. After eight years, he was once more a champion. In 2023 and 2024 he received the LMP2 class of the World Cup, and final 12 months he repeated his success at ELMS.
“I by no means doubted my capabilities,” Cubica informed my triumph in 2021. “At the moment I used to be 36 and returned me to my days in Karting when every part was like discovering one thing new. It was one thing particular.”
The sturdiness of the racing allowed the cubic meter to discover a totally different side of its driving. If it is a six -hour race or 24 hours, he ought to share the automobile with one or two different drivers.
“DNA is identical as a result of you need to deliver the automobile dwelling as rapidly as doable,” he mentioned. “After all, you share the automobile, so the method is totally different. You need to have totally different expertise as a information in comparison with System 1.
“For instance, it is advisable to suppose as a gaggle. My age might be serving to me on this method. It is not as rapidly as doable in any lap. I can sacrifice myself for the group.”
This 12 months, Cubica is driving for AF Corse within the Hypercar class on the World Endurance Championships, together with Phil Hanson of England and Eifiy Yeh of China. The group is related to Ferrari, which is able to handle 499p.
“All drivers need to win,” says Giuseppe Petrot, managing director of AF Corse, in an interview in April. “We do not want a loser. It is one thing we have to handle, get the very best for Ferrari.”
After the primary two competitions through the 12 months, Qatar 1812 km in February and 6am in April, Cubica and his teammates are second within the rating.
The Peter mentioned that Cubica’s expertise was invaluable to the group: “He has knowledgeable, worthwhile mentality. He’s centered on each element, all the time pushes us in lots of instructions, specializing in particulars that aren’t deliberate.
“With Robert, his focus just isn’t instantly on the very best time, as a younger driver, as a result of we don’t want it. He’s centered on understanding the tires, the automobile and using all alternatives for the very best outcome.”
The Peter mentioned he was shocked by the cubic meter and the soundness he had manifested by means of his profession.
“He is very passionate,” Peter mentioned. “You’ll be able to hear this in a few of his radio communications.
“That is one thing we have to handle, analyze after a race. However the important thing level is that it’s quick and constant when vital, which helps us and discover the very best resolution for any race.”
After a profitable six years with United Autosports, successful 24 hours within the Le Mans LMP2 class in 2020 and shifting to the Hertz Jota group final 12 months, Hanson joined AF Corse this 12 months.
In an interview in April, Hanson mentioned the group “was some of the hungry I used to be with to win” and referred to as the Cubic “essentially the most hungry racing driver I met to win and carry out.”
Hanson, 15 years older than Cubica, is amazed on the ardour and endurance of the older driver of 40.
“While you suppose Robert was there and made it in so many various championships in so many various disciplines of automobile sports activities to have this stage of starvation at his stage of expertise, it’s unimaginable,” Hanson mentioned.
“He isn’t complacent. He’s the final to go away the monitor, even when issues are prepared, simply because he’s so pulling in that he desires to take a look at all the small print, which reveals how engaged he’s to attain this outcome.”
It was Cubica’s psychological capability that shocked Hanson. “If you find yourself within the site visitors, you struggle with different automobiles, then errors occur since you are multi -tier to the fifth or sixth diploma,” he mentioned.
“For him, he thinks of a technique and different issues on high of every part. It not often occurs to take action many issues at this excessive stage the place there are such a lot of choices and so many various points that enter it. Then he begins to separate the drivers.”
After getting nearer to Motorsport, the “recent air”, which Cubica is speaking about, strengthened it.
His profession horizon is distant. “I discovered a lesson in 2011 to not plan too far forward,” he mentioned. “Though the work may be very troublesome and the competitors may be very excessive, I nonetheless have quite a lot of ardour. This has turn out to be a lifestyle.
“I do not know what is going to occur sooner or later, however I do know one factor for positive and it’s whereas I get pleasure from what I do and whereas I am wholesome and succesful, I am going to proceed. I am going to by no means go to a race and see it as a job. It is one thing distinctive, one thing my life gave me.”
