Robert Kubica claiming his maiden Le Mans 24 Hours victory proved standard amongst the Method 1 paddock, with numerous members paying tribute to him on Sunday.
Kubica, who had three separate stints in F1, gained the traditional French enduro over the weekend while sharing the #83 Ferrari Hypercar with Phil Hanson and Yifei Ye.
It’s the spotlight in a profession of ‘what ifs’ for Kubica, who was one in all F1’s star drivers within the late 2000s earlier than a near-fatal rallying accident in 2011 ended his four-year keep within the collection.
Kubica has since floated throughout numerous classes, earlier than lastly discovering his dwelling within the World Endurance Championship within the 2020s together with his Le Mans debut coming in 2021.
That was the 12 months he very practically claimed victory within the LMP2 class, just for himself, Ye and Louis Deletraz to retire from the lead on the ultimate lap on account of a throttle sensor subject.
However on his fifth journey to Le Mans, Kubica took general victory throughout the identical weekend when F1 hosted its Canadian race – the positioning of the Pole’s sole grand prix win, which got here in 2008 and briefly took him to the highest of the drivers’ standings.
“I am very glad for him,” stated Fernando Alonso, who gained the Le Mans 24 Hours in 2018 and 2019.
“We talked just a few instances about how particular that race is and he deserves to expertise that.
“He’s a legend of our sport, and now he is much more after profitable Le Mans in his profession.
Fernando Alonso, Alpine, and Robert Kubica, Alfa Romeo take a look at driver, in 2021
Photograph by: Mark Sutton / Motorsport Photographs
“ a number of the ache that he went by means of with the accident and issues like that, I believe right this moment is a really glad day for motorsport. He most likely ought to have gained it a few years in the past when he had the failure in LMP2.
“I’m so glad for him, I’ll name him tomorrow. I did not wish to disturb right this moment! He can be celebrating, however extraordinarily glad. I am pleased with him.”
Kubica, now aged 40, additionally contested the 2019 F1 season with Williams earlier than returning for 2 grands prix in 2021 to interchange Alfa Romeo’s Kimi Raikkonen who had COVID-19.
Though Kubica failed to attain any factors for Alfa Romeo, then crew boss Frederic Vasseur, who’s now at Ferrari, was nonetheless impressed by him and much more amazed by his Le Mans win.
“Sure, you realize that I’ve an in depth relationship with Robert,” stated Vasseur. “He stayed with me a few years at Alfa Romeo and earlier than in F3 Method Renault. And for me, he is an extraterrestrial.
“What he is doing is mega. To win in Le Mans on this state of affairs, to be the chief of the automobile, to push the crew, it is one thing that I can not think about.
“Truthfully, every time that I am discussing with Robert, you realize when he jumped into the automobile for Alfa when Kimi received the Covid, it was in Zandvoort.
“He needed to soar into the automobile on Saturday morning. In Zandvoort, the pitlane could be very small and he was not capable of flip the wheel and to take the clutch. And he did not drive the automobile all 12 months.
“And this race, he was combating with Seb [Vettel] till the final nook. And that is simply mega. I am very, more than happy for Robert.
Robert Kubica, Check and Reserve Driver, Alfa Romeo Racing
Photograph by: Andy Hone / Motorsport Photographs
“He had a chaotic profession in motorsports, and whenever you see the extent of effort that he put into his profession, I am very, more than happy for him to have this sort of current right this moment.”
Kubica’s different profession achievements embrace profitable the 2013 WRC2 title, the European Le Mans Sequence LMP2 crown in 2021 and 2024, in addition to WEC LMP2 honours in 2023.
Photographs from 24 Hours of Le Mans – Race
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