Kubica: 'Rather win Le Mans than the title in the WEC'

Robert Kubica was one of the greatest talents Formula 1 had seen in years, but a serious injury meant the Pole could never fulfil his enormous promise. Although winner of a Grand Prix (Canada, 2008), at the age of 38 Kubica is still waiting for a major, monumental win. This weekend at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, another chance awaits, after a heartbreaking edition two years ago.

Currently, Robert Kubica is not (no longer) involved with a Formula 1 team, but his racing career is anything but on the back burner. The affable Pole is currently second in the World Endurance Championship (WEC) standings, in which he competes for Team WRT (LMP2 class). "It has been a different approach and is a different kind of motor sport racing compared to what I was used to doing until the end of 2020," Kubica said during an exclusive interview with GPblog.

Le Mans unique

"It’s a fascinating world. There are things which are really different to sprint races. Of course, driving the car is not different. In the end, there's a mechanical vehicle which in every category is different. But the approach how you are dealing with your teammates, that is completely different. When you are in sprint races, you are focusing on yourself. Here you have to kind of split the focus of three people. You have to work together, they are working for you. You are working for them for their results. Currently, in LMP2, races are a long sprint races. Often in the past sprint races, I would have to take care more about the tyres than I'm doing here. Of course, there is a bit of a longer race. You are higher exposed for mistakes, technical issues, stuff like this. But that's part of it."

In 2021, Kubica was a metres away from winning the 24 Hours of Le Mans. On the very last lap, Team WRT's car stalled. "It's difficult to forget," Kubica looked back. "I have been surprised by my reaction that it felt painful. I have lost the races in the past on the last lap when I was leading. But because Le Mans is a such a difficult challenge, such a complicated that you never know if, even if you come there 10 times back, if you will be in the situation to win it, to lose it. The last it has been hard, of course, that's part of racing. But yeah, definitely, ok, we came back last year and finished second. Still not the winner. You never know if I will be in the situation to win it again. So for sure this will be a target. But it is a complex and difficult race and a very big challenge."

Le Mans is only about the winner

In the championship, Kubica is currently in second position. "I will exchange winning the championship for winning Le Mans. Because in the end, I think because it is so different that in my ranking I rate is very high. I rate is extremely high. Because it's also once a year. So, you know, so championship there are many, not many but seven races you can win, you can see 2nd third in the end in Le Mans it matters who wins. Yes, a podium is a nice finish position, let's say for effort. But you go home happy [with a win] and not happy with the second or third place, also depending how you got it. In the end, I call it a kind of Olympic race for us having once a year and it is unique."