Sometimes a driver finds himself a seat in a Formula 1 car more because of his nationality and or commercial viability than any outright talent. Not so the case of Robert Kubica who has shown all the attributes of a front-line racer who just happens to be the first Polish driver to compete in Grand Prix racing

Robert began running around in a little off-road vehicle when just four years old and had spent time practicing a go-kart long under the tutelage of his father before he was able to take part in any official competition. So at ten years of age, Kubica began his racing career in the Polish Karting Championship, winning six titles in three years before heading to Italy where he soon showed his considerable talent, emerging as both the Italian and German Champion with the added bonus prestigious wins at Monaco in both 1998 and 1989.

After taking fourth place overall in the both the World and European Karting championships the following season, Kubica finally gradated to Formula Renault in 2001 and was soon a pacesetter in this discipline. Four wins helped him to finish runner-up in the 2002 Italian Championship and a planned assault on the Euro Series F3 championship the following year. Unfortunately, Robert’s F3 debut was delayed when he sustained a badly broken arm, as a passenger in a road accident, but upon his return in mid-season he won at Norisring and finished a creditable twelfth overall. In 2004 Kubica was again front-runner, but outright victory was to elude him and he had to settle for seventh in the final standings.

A crucial decision to opt for World Series by Renault rather than GP2 in 2005 proved to be an astute one, as the Polish driver quickly took control of proceedings against more experienced campaigners. Four wins wrapped up the Championship and guaranteed him an end of season test at Barcelona in the F1 Renault. His lap times were so impressive, that Mario Thiessen of BMW immediately signed him up as the BMW-Sauber team’s test driver for 2006.

After excelling in his duties as third driver in Friday testing throughout the first half of season, Kubica was unexpectedly pitched into action in place of the indisposed Jacques Villeneuve for the Hungarian Grand Prix. What a baptism it proved to be for the Pole, who out-qualified his team-mate Heidfeld in practice, and then survived two spins in a rain-hit race to claim a plucky seventh place. Sadly his BMW-Sauber was found to be underweight after post race scrutineering and his points-scoring debut was wiped out.

Nevertheless Robert kept his seat at the expense of Villeneuve, and at the very next race he showed he was a potential Grand Prix star in the making when he took a sensational third place in the Italian Grand Prix. Although his subsequent results were less productive a feisty performance in Japan proved him to be a true racer.

Having made such a stunning impression in his first year, Kubica initially struggled somewhat in 2007. The Pole initially had problems adapting to the change to the enforced Bridgestone tyres, but he was soon racking up the points before surviving a huge accident in the Canadian Grand Prix. Fortunately his injuries were not serious, and after being rested from the race at Indianapolis, it was business as usual notching up points in eight of the ten remaining rounds to finish the season in sixth place.

For 2008 Kubica’s first aim must be to overshadow his teammate Heidfeld and cement his position as potential championship-winning driver of the future. A stunning second place in Malaysia, behind only Kimi Räikkönen, bodes well for BMW’s hopes of a win in the near future.