Kubica on LMP2 title fight: “Until you take the chequered flag, anything can happen”

The experienced Pole looks back on what has been an incredible season for the Belgian entry so far.

Courtesy of their impressive LMP2 class win in Fuji, the No. 41 entry will enter FIA WEC’s season finale - the BAPCO Energies 8 Hours of Bahrain - with a 33-point lead over the Le Mans-winning Inter Europol Competition. With a maximum of 39 points at stake at Sakhir, Kubica and fellow co-drivers Louis Delétraz and Rui Andrade only need an eighth-place finish or better to be crowned class champions.

“We have a pretty good lead”, admits Robert. “But it doesn’t mean we can relax. It’s still an 8 hours-long race. We have to make sure we deliver a clean race with the correct approach and without mechanical issues. There is still a lot left to do. Until you take the chequered flag, everything can happen.”

The Pole knows all too well what it feels to be denied a clear victory only minutes away from crossing the finish line. In 2021, the Le Mans-leading WRT’s No. 41 LMP2 he shared with Delétraz and Yifei Ye sustained a dramatic electric failure in its last lap. “We had officials and marshalls coming in our garage 17 minutes to go, giving us podium caps and explaining us the way to the podium”, recalls Robert. “I told them, maybe not in a friendly way, that the race was still on and asked them to leave us until we crossed the line. Unfortunately, we did not cross the line.”

Since this 2021 heartbreak, the former BMW Sauber (2006-2009), Renault (2010), Williams (2019) and Alfa Romeo (2021) Formula One driver delivered back-to-back P2 finishes at La Sarthe, first with Prema last year and with WRT last June. “When you are on the podium at Le Mans, you have to be happy with what you achieved, because it’s a huge challenge and a very demanding race, especially this year with the weather conditions. We did a very clean race. Unfortunately, someone has been stronger than us. That’s how it is. This is motorsport.”

What is clear is that no team, across the season, has been stronger or more consistent than WRT’s No. 41 squad. The Belgian outfit finished on the podium of all FIA WEC rounds this season bar one, in the opening 1000 Miles of Sebring where the team ended up fourth. “The team’s compromise of performance versus risk worked very well this year for us”, underlines Robert. “We always brought home good points. Even if, for example, we were not super competitive in Sebring, we were always in the fight for podiums and wins. This is very important, especially in a championship with fewer races like WEC. Many teams would like to finish in the worst position we have been in. This explains and shows the quality of our season.”

Robert Kubica also mentioned the chemistry within the No. 41 as one of the reasons for their success. The Pole is teammates with Delétraz since 2021. That year, the pair won the European Le Mans Series alongside Yifei with WRT. “Pairing up with Louis for the last three years brings a lot of confidence to our line-up, as well as a lot of knowledge between ourselves on what we need and what we like. We have good chemistry with the drivers and with the team too. I think our strength lies in how we prepare and in our flexibility within our line-up and the team. This helps us extract the maximum from our package.” Robert also lauded the input from Rui Andrade, the team’s Silver-rated driver. “He made big progress this year. He became a more mature driver, he gained confidence and I think that was the key to unlocking his potential. I hope that, together with Louis, we helped him in becoming better.”

The Bapco Energies 8 Hours of Bahrain are set to be Robert’s final race behind the wheel of a LMP2 car, with FIA WEC shifting to a two-class series with Hypercar and LMGT3. “The LMP2 car has given me a lot of good times and some difficult ones. But overall, it has been a very nice and friendly car to drive.”

The Pole has lifted the lid on his plans for the future. Robert Kubica has confirmed talks over a drive with the Hypercar privateer side Hertz Team JOTA. “But it’s not the only team I have been talking to. I don’t own a crystal ball to be 100% sure, but I would be surprised not to race in WEC next year. I think, in the near future, I will know exactly for whom I will be driving.”

Robert Kubica will turn 39 on December 7, but it does not feel like he is close to hang up his racing boots just yet. By his own admission, the 2008 Canadian Grand Prix winner and 2013 WRC2 champions remains as passionate as ever. “Passion lets you do things which, without it, you will not be doing”, adds Robert.

“I feel like I have a lot to give to the sport, and the sport is still giving me a lot. I keep racing because I enjoy it. In some ways, I’m surprised about how still big is the wish for me to drive and to perform. I’m super lucky racing became my job and I’m glad life gave me this opportunity. When people in the summer break ask me where I’m going for the holidays, I say I have holidays all year long!”