Poland's Only F1 Driver · Formula 1

Robert Kubica

A Grand Prix winner, an arm nearly lost to an Armco barrier, and a Le Mans victory fourteen years later. The official Kubica collection: Montréal, Andora, and La Sarthe.

Nationality
Polish
Born
7 December 1984 · Kraków, Poland
Teams
BMW Sauber · Renault · Williams · Alfa Romeo
Wins
1 (2008 Canadian Grand Prix)
Car number
88
Also won
24 Hours of Le Mans (2025) · WRC-2 (2013)
Shop the Collection Watch highlights
Graphic illustration of racing driver Robert Kubica wearing his yellow and red racing suit, featuring his yellow and red race car.
Winner, 2008 Canadian Grand Prix
2006 — 2021
1
Grand Prix Win
12
Podium Finishes
99
Grand Prix Starts
4th
Best Championship Finish

Who is Robert Kubica?

Robert Kubica (born 7 December 1984) is a Polish racing driver and the only Pole ever to compete in Formula 1. He won the 2008 Canadian Grand Prix for BMW Sauber and took 12 podiums and 274 points from 99 starts. A rally crash in 2011 partially severed his right forearm; he returned to Formula 1 in 2019 and won the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 2025.

Full name
Robert Józef Kubica
Nationality
Polish
F1 career
2006–2010, 2019, 2021
Best known for
Winning in Canada, and coming back from a near-fatal crash

By KozmozInspire Editorial Published Updated 9 sources

Rider Profile

Robert Kubica: Full Biography

Robert Kubica is a Polish racing driver and remains the only Pole ever to compete in Formula 1. He won the 2008 Canadian Grand Prix, and in 2025 won the 24 Hours of Le Mans outright with AF Corse.

BMW Sauber He was promoted from test driver to the race seat during 2006 and took a podium in his third Grand Prix, at Monza. In 2008 he won in Canada, led the World Championship at one stage and finished fourth overall — the best season of his Formula 1 career. That victory remains the only one the Sauber team has ever scored.

The Crash He moved to Renault for 2010 and was due to stay for 2011. On 6 February that year he crashed at the Ronde di Andora rally; a barrier entered the cockpit and partially severed his right forearm, and he also fractured his elbow, shoulder and leg. He missed the season, and later said a Formula 1 return would be nearly impossible.

The Long Way Back He returned to competition in rallying, won the inaugural WRC-2 title in 2013, and came back to Formula 1 with Williams in 2019 alongside the rookie George Russell. Endurance racing followed: the 2023 World Endurance Championship in LMP2 with WRT, and outright victory at Le Mans in 2025.

The Career

Three Chapters That Defined Robert Kubica

Chapter 01

Montréal, 2008

A year earlier he had crashed heavily at the same circuit. In June 2008 he started second in Montréal, won the race, and left Canada leading the World Championship. It was his only Formula 1 victory and it remains the only one the Sauber team has ever taken. He finished the season fourth overall, the best result of his career, and was widely regarded as a future champion.

Robert Kubica driving for BMW Sauber at the 2008 Belgian Grand Prix BMW Sauber · Belgium, 2008 Photo: Robert Kubica, BMW Sauber — 2008 Belgian Grand Prix by Mark McArdle from Canada / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0 (cropped and resized) · licence
Chapter 02

Ronde di Andora

He had driven for Renault through 2010 and was contracted to stay for 2011. On 6 February that year he crashed at the Ronde di Andora rally in Italy; a section of barrier entered the cockpit and partially severed his right forearm, and he fractured his elbow, shoulder and leg. He missed the entire season. He later said publicly that a return to Formula 1 would be nearly impossible, and a pre-contract he had signed for 2012 was ruled out by the injuries.

Robert Kubica in the Renault R30 at Turn 9, Spa-Francorchamps, during second practice for the 2010 Belgian Grand Prix Renault R30 · Spa, 2010 Photo: Robert Kubica, Renault R30 — 2010 Belgian Grand Prix by Nic Redhead from Birmingham, UK / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0 (cropped and resized) · licence
Chapter 03

Le Mans, Fourteen Years Later

He came back through rallying, winning the inaugural WRC-2 championship in 2013, then returned to a Formula 1 seat with Williams in 2019 in a car that scored a single point all year. Endurance racing gave him the results: the 2023 World Endurance Championship in LMP2, and in June 2025 outright victory at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in the No. 83 AF Corse Ferrari, shared with Phil Hanson and Yifei Ye. He drove 43 per cent of the race, including the final 59 laps with a drinks bottle that had stopped working.

Robert Kubica driving the No. 83 AF Corse Ferrari 499P, co-driven with Robert Shwartzman and Yifei Ye in 2024. AF Corse Ferrari 499P No. 83 · 2024 Photo: Robert Kubica driving the No. 83 AF Corse Ferrari 499P by Kevin Decherf from France — CC BY-SA 2.0. Resized. · licence
Career Timeline

Robert Kubica Career Timeline: 1984–Present

Born in Kraków

Robert Józef Kubica is born on 7 December in Kraków, Poland.

Formula 1 Debut

Promoted from BMW Sauber test driver to the race seat and debuts in Hungary.

First Podium

Third at Monza in his third Grand Prix, the first podium by a Polish driver.

Canada

Wins the Canadian Grand Prix from second on the grid and leads the World Championship.

Career-Best Fourth

Finishes fourth in the World Drivers' Championship with 75 points.

Renault

Three podiums and eighth overall in his only season with the team.

Ronde di Andora

Seriously injured on 6 February when a barrier partially severs his right forearm.

Back to Racing

Returns to competition in September, winning a minor rally in Italy.

WRC-2 Champion

Wins the inaugural WRC-2 title with Citroën.

Return to Formula 1

Races for Williams alongside George Russell and scores the team's only point.

World Endurance Champion

Takes the LMP2 title in the FIA World Endurance Championship with WRT.

Le Mans

Wins the 24 Hours of Le Mans outright with AF Corse.

By the Numbers

Robert Kubica F1 Career Record, Season by Season

Robert Kubica season-by-season record: team, wins, poles, podiums, points and final standing.
SeasonTeam Wins Poles Podiums Points Pos.
2006 BMW Sauber 0 0 1 6 16
2007 BMW Sauber 0 0 0 39 6
2008 BMW Sauber 1 1 7 75 4
2009 BMW Sauber 0 0 1 17 14
2010 Renault 0 0 3 136 8
2019 Williams 0 0 0 1 19
2021 Alfa Romeo 0 0 0 0 20

Career totals: 1 win · 1 pole position · 12 podiums · 1 fastest lap · 274 points from 99 Grand Prix starts. He did not race in Formula 1 between 2011 and 2018, or in 2020, and his 2021 entries were substitute appearances for Alfa Romeo. Points are not comparable across the table: the scoring system changed in 2010. Figures verified 14 August 2026.

Robert Kubica in his own words

In His Own Words
I was young and motivated and didn't want to give up the momentum.
Robert Kubica · on flying home straight after the 2008 Canadian Grand Prix, his only win
Frequently Asked

Robert Kubica: Frequently Asked Questions

How many Formula 1 races did Robert Kubica win?

One, the 2008 Canadian Grand Prix with BMW Sauber. It remains the only Grand Prix victory the Sauber team has ever scored. He also took one pole position, one fastest lap and 12 podium finishes from 99 starts.

What happened to Robert Kubica in 2011?

On 6 February 2011 he crashed at the Ronde di Andora rally in Italy. A section of barrier entered the cockpit and partially severed his right forearm, and he fractured his elbow, shoulder and leg. He missed the entire Formula 1 season and never returned to a front-running team.

Is Robert Kubica the only Polish Formula 1 driver?

Yes. He remains the only driver from Poland to have competed in Formula 1, and his third place at Monza in 2006 was the first podium by a Polish driver.

Did Robert Kubica return to Formula 1?

Yes. After years in rallying he came back with Williams in 2019, partnering the rookie George Russell. He scored the team's only point of the season, at the German Grand Prix, and made two further starts for Alfa Romeo as a substitute in 2021.

Has Robert Kubica won Le Mans?

Yes, outright in 2025 with AF Corse, sharing the No. 83 Ferrari 499P with Phil Hanson and Yifei Ye. He had also won the 2023 FIA World Endurance Championship in the LMP2 class with WRT.

What was Robert Kubica's best Formula 1 season?

2008, when he won in Canada, led the World Championship at one stage and finished fourth overall with 75 points and seven podium finishes.

Which teams did Robert Kubica drive for in Formula 1?

Four. BMW Sauber from 2006 to 2009, Renault in 2010, Williams in 2019 and Alfa Romeo in 2021.

What did Robert Kubica do in rallying?

He moved to rallying after his injuries and won the inaugural WRC-2 championship in 2013 with Citroën, before a full World Rally Championship season in 2014 with M-Sport. He contested 33 rallies between 2013 and 2016.

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References

Sources & Further Reading

Every statistic on this page is drawn from the following records.

  1. In his own words: Kubica on his 2008 Canadian Grand Prix win · Formula1.com (official)
  2. Robert Kubica's journey from F1 prospect to Le Mans victory · Formula1.com (official)
  3. 2008 Robert Kubica driver standings · Formula1.com (official)
  4. Robert Kubica — season-by-season statistics · StatsF1
  5. Robert Kubica driver database · Motor Sport Magazine
  6. FIA World Endurance Championship · FIA WEC (official)
  7. 24 Hours of Le Mans — official site · Automobile Club de l'Ouest (official)
  8. Robert Kubica · Wikipedia
  9. Robert Kubica (Q160359) · Wikidata entity record

How this page is made

Rider profiles are compiled from official series records and cross-checked against independent statistical databases before publication.

Commercial disclosure. This page links to merchandise sold by KozmozInspire. Products are fan-made tributes inspired by motorsport history and are not affiliated with, endorsed by, or licensed from the rider, their estate, or any team.

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