Video. 10 years ago, Robert Kubica's only victory in F1

In an interview given on the official Formula 1 website, Robert Kubica returned to the weekend of the 2008 Canadian Grand Prix, contested on the Gilles-Villeneuve circuit in Montreal. On June 8 of that year, the BMW-Sauber driver became the first Pole to lift a winner's cup in F1 and marked the only success for the Swiss team.

However, twelve months earlier, the Formula champion Renault 3.5 2005 experienced other emotions that could have been dramatic. Left off the track due to contact with the Toyota by Jarno Trulli, he hit the concrete wall at 230 km/h, with an impact of 75G. He escaped with only minor head trauma and a sprained ankle.

« I have been very lucky. When I did my reconnaissance of the route a year later, I didn't feel anything negative. I continued walking and put it out of my mind, he explains. When I sat down for the first tests, I didn’t think about the accident again. I had a job to do.

Tough as hell, Robert Kubica attacked the Quebec weekend on a good footing, with the second best time in Friday practice. “ BMW-Sauber was very competitive this year. She wasn't the best, but we could fight up front (pole position in Bahrain). »

More than the memory of the crash, it was the deplorable state of the road that bothered the pilot. “The asphalt was crumbling. On certain turns, we had to improvise the trajectory because we had to avoid pieces of tarmac that were coming loose! At the pin, it was better to put a wheel in the grass rather than staying on the road, it was less slippery."

Qualified in second place on the grid, Robert Kubica will benefit from an unusual collision to take the lead on Sunday. At the end of the pit lane, Lewis Hamilton (McLaren), head in the air, did not notice the red light (because of the Safety Car in operation) and hit Kimi Räikkönen (Ferrari). Both men were forced to give up.

“I was waiting next to Räikkönen at the time. But I think we could have aimed for victory without this accident. » Robert Kubica then followed a two-stop strategy, where his teammate Nick Heidfeld, then second, made do with a pit stop. With a lighter car, the Pole managed to open up a gap of 24 seconds before his final pit stop. Enough to stay first.

Victorious, Robert Kubica did not have time to savor the present moment. “I took a plane as soon as the race was over, I had to work at the factory before private testing. I regret that. In hindsight, I would have enjoyed the post-race with the guys from the team more – I apologize for that. I was young (23 years), pumped up and I didn't want to lose this dynamic. »

Robert Kubica has no memories of this special day. However, there is no shortage of desire! “I don’t have the trophy. The team kept it, and I didn't get a reply, which annoys me a little. It was team policy, which had written it on my contract but I thought I would get a copy.

I did not keep the car neither. I would love. I tried to buy it a while ago, but failed. It's a complex story. Most 2008 models no longer exist in their original form as many chassis have been modified to lead the development of the Kers (kinetic energy recovery and restitution system, appeared in 2009). »

Robert Kubica finished in 2008 in fourth place in the general classification, 23 points behind champion Lewis Hamilton. He scored several podiums until his terrible accident. rally in February 2011 and returned to F1 this season as a development driver for Williams.