'In the beginning nobody knew my name'

By BMW Sauber F1 Team
August 18 2006

By contesting his maiden Grand Prix, in Hungary, Robert Kubica definitely made it to the Formula One limelight. And the BMW Sauber F1 Team driver did so although his way to the pinnacle of motor racing was anything but easy.

"In the beginning, nobody knew my name," Robert reveals while recalling the early days of his motor racing career, "Particularly in Formula One." He early started to like motor sport and it didn't take him long to secure his maiden successes. As a boy, the Pole already clinched six national Kart titles.

As next step, Robert moved to Italy to contest the Italian Kart Championship. "The Englishmen and the Germans used to smile about us and regarded us as exotic. At that time, there were no other Poles racing in the series I was competing in. We've got no motor racing history," says the new BMW Sauber F1 Team Grand Prix driver.

Following his successes in the Formula 3 Euro Series and the Renault World Series, the BMW Sauber F1 Team offered him the chance of proving his skills in Formula One as test and reserve driver - a chance Robert perfectly used right way. But for Robert, it's not of major importance to be the first Polish Formula One ace. "From my point of view, it does make no difference if I'm a Pole, Briton, German or US-American. I'm just delighted to have made it."