(Motorsport-Total.com) – Robert Kubica admitted that winning the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 2025 with AF Corse Ferrari helped to close a long-standing emotional wound. The Pole had once signed a contract for a Formula 1 cockpit with Ferrari before a serious rally accident thwarted his career plans.
Read more Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen criticize exploding karting costs
On February 6, 2011, Kubica suffered a serious accident at the Ronde di Andora rally. The then Renault driver sustained permanent injuries to his right arm and right leg. In addition to missing the 2011 Formula 1 season, a previously agreed move to Ferrari for 2012 also fell through.
It was not until six years later that Kubica returned to a Formula 1 car. In 2019 he competed in a full season, and in 2021 he made occasional appearances. In the same year, he switched to endurance racing and in 2025 won the 24 Hours of Le Mans together with Phil Hanson and Ye Yifei in the Ferrari 499P from AF Corse.
Not comparable to F1 Ferrari
Before the 2026 edition, Kubica answered questions from Autosport readers and also spoke about the significance of the success with Ferrari. He first clarifies: “We have to make this clear because ultimately I am not a Ferrari driver. I drive a Ferrari 499P, but I am a driver for AF Corse.”
The 41-year-old emphasizes that his current situation cannot be compared to the opportunity he once had for a Ferrari cockpit in Formula 1. “It is impossible to compare that with the days when I was on the way to becoming a Ferrari driver in Formula 1,” he explains.
Formula 1: Ferrari dream remained unfulfilled
For him, there were always two big goals in Formula 1. “I wanted to become world champion one day or at least have the chance to fight for the title. The second goal was to become a Ferrari driver in Formula 1.”
Read more Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen criticize exploding karting costs
Neither of these ultimately came true. “I achieved neither. I was on the way to becoming a Ferrari driver in Formula 1, but unfortunately, it did not happen because of the accident.”
A decision from the heart for AF Corse
Nevertheless, the collaboration with AF Corse had a special meaning. Kubica also reveals that the missed Formula 1 Ferrari opportunity occupied his thoughts for many years.
“One of the reasons why I decided on AF Corse at the end of 2023 was that otherwise I might have later regretted missing the chance to at least drive a Ferrari in the Hypercar class,” he says. “One of my biggest regrets was that I never had the opportunity to sit in a Ferrari Formula 1 car.”
The decision for AF Corse was therefore not only for sporting reasons. “It was more of an emotional thing than a technical decision. This wound had not fully healed for many years.”
Still without a podium in 2026
At the 24 Hours of Le Mans 2026, Kubica and his teammates finished seventh. In the current season of the World Endurance Championship, the team is still waiting for a podium finish given the high level of competition.
Read more «Carlos and Alex want their future here» — Vowles remains calm