Robert Kubica has predicted that the British Grand Prix at
Silverstone next weekend will play a key part in deciding how the remainder of the
Formula One season pans out.
The
BMW Sauber driver took his maiden Grand Prix win in Canada to jump into the lead of the drivers' championship but then endured a more difficult weekend last time out at Magny-Cours, taking the flag down in fifth place to slip behind
Felipe Massa in the title race.
The Pole has been one of the stars of the season so far and has finished inside the top five in every race this year bar the season opener in Australia, where he was forced to retire.
As such he is now regarded as a title challenger alongside the likes of Massa, defending champion
Kimi Raikkonen and
Lewis Hamilton although heading into the Silverstone race next weekend, he admits he still sees himself very much as the outsider taking it to the top two teams.
Indeed, after a more trying weekend in France for the Himwil-based squad following the euphoria of the 1-2 finish in Canada, Kubica said it was vital for the team to raise its game to stay in contention for honours.
"We are almost halfway through the season and I don't think that my second position in the championship is just by chance," he told the official Formula One website. "Nevertheless, I still consider that I am the outsider and I'll only tell you if I am a 'hot' candidate when we're in Brazil. For the time being, I feel more like a 'David' against lots of 'Goliaths'.
"We are currently far from the pace we need in order to challenge our front-running competitors and it's no secret that we need some good updates to get back to the level of competitiveness we showed in the early part of the season. The missed podium in Magny-Cours shows that we cannot rely on the others hitting trouble.
"In Magny-Cours our gap to
Ferrari was the highest so far and this was emphasised by the fact that some other teams have instead closed the gap to us. It's a signal that we need to take very seriously - and one we must react quickly to."
