Robert Kubica a Polish racing driver was until this week a test and reserve driver for the Williams F1 team. Kubica will race for Williams – one of the world’s leading teams – in the 2019 season. It is a remarkable return to single-seater racing. On February 6th, 2011, Kubica was seriously injured in a crash at the Ronde di Andora rally, in which his car was penetrated by a road-side barrier and his right forearm was partially severed.
33-year-old Kubica underwent a series of operations, but he did not regain full efficiency in his right shoulder and unfortunately never will. Almost no one truly believed he could return to Formula 1. Since his recovering he stated that a return to Formula 1 would be “nearly impossible” because of his injury. He then tried a series of different racing cars to see if he could be competitive again. The turning point came at the end of 2016 when he tried a simulator at the factory of Italian racing car constructor Dallara and realised that a return to F1 might in fact possible. Since then, he has taken part in tests with the Renault and Williams teams. When a year ago Kubica underwent some tests many doubted whether he would pass the so-called five seconds test, which is a speed test to get out and in of a racing car. This is a requirement of The Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile association (FIA), which aims to prevent drivers with unhealed injuries from taking part in races. Kubica not only passed the test but did it in the fastest time. The FIA technical delegate admitted that he jumped from the cockpit in Hungary the fastest among all tested drivers. On January 16th, 2018, it was announced that Kubica would become Williams’ driver for the 2019 season. Williams confirmed the news on November 22 about putting Kubica back on an F1 grid for the first time since 2010.
“I would like to thank everyone who has helped me during what was a difficult period of my life over these last few years. It has been a challenging journey to make it back to the Formula 1 grid, but what seemed almost impossible is now beginning to feel possible, as I am excited to be able to say that I will be on the Formula One grid in 2019.” – Robert Kubica
This story of remarkable strength and determination could be one of the greatest comebacks in sport.