Fernando Alonso hails “legend” Robert Kubica after Le Mans triumph

Fernando Alonso has paid tribute to Robert Kubica following the former Formula 1 star’s landmark victory in the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

Kubica, driving the No. 83 AF Corse-run Ferrari alongside Yifei Ye and Phil Hanson, claimed a memorable win in the Hypercar class in what was only his second appearance in the top category of the French endurance classic.

It marks the biggest achievement of the Pole’s career since his maiden—and only—F1 victory at the 2008 Canadian Grand Prix with BMW Sauber.

Kubica had been due to join Ferrari as Alonso’s teammate for the 2012 F1 season, but a serious rally crash in early 2011 left him with an arm injury that derailed his career at its peak.

It took him around 18 months before he could even step inside a rally car, but he gradually recovered enough to return to F1 in 2019 with Williams.

In recent years, Kubica has focused on prototype sportscar racing, and Sunday’s triumph at Le Mans marked his second overall win in the FIA World Endurance Championship.

Alonso, who won Le Mans twice with Toyota during the LMP1 era in 2018 and 2019, praised his former rival’s perseverance and class, calling him a legend of motorsport.

"I'm very happy for him," Alonso was quoted by ESPN. “We talked a few times about how special that race is, and he deserves to experience that.

“He's a legend of our sport, and now he's even more after winning Le Mans in his career.

"You know some of the pain that he went through with the accident and things like that—I think today is a very happy day for motorsport.

"So happy for him, I will call him tomorrow. I didn't want to disturb today! He will be celebrating, but extremely happy. I'm proud of him."

Kubica will remain in the WEC for the season, which includes races in Sao Paulo, Austin, Fuji and Bahrain.