Robert Kubica told Motorsport Week that the WEC COTA win restored the same feelings as his single Formula 1 victory at the 2008 Canadian Grand Prix.
In a special three-part interview, the #83 AF Corse Ferrari drivers – Robert Kubica, Robert Shwartzman and Yifei Ye – spoke at length on their journey so far at the wheel of the ‘third Ferrari’ in addition to how it felt to win.
Together, they experienced highs and lows in their maiden WEC campaign together this year.
Ferrari as a manufacturer has three race victories so far, two of them being back-to-back at the historic 24 Hours of Le Mans.
The privateer-entered #83 AF Corse Ferrari 499P won their first race at the Circuit of the Americas (COTA) at the beginning of September, which was the latter and most recent of Ferrari’s wins.
After a challenging 6 Hours of Fuji, the #83 only have the 8 Hours of Bahrain season finale to conclude the 2024 season.
Firstly, Kubica detailed how the COTA win rejuvenated feelings of his single Formula 1 victory at the 2008 Canada Grand Prix.
First-time for Ferrari, deja vu for Kubica
For the first time in motorsport history, Ferrari won two world championship races on the same day – the Italian GP in Monza and the Lone Star Le Mans in COTA.
“It had been a great day, not only for us from the #83 Hypercar team, but of course for the win of Charles in Monza.
“I can only visualise from outside because I never had the opportunity to step up on the highest podium in Monza, especially as a Ferrari driver, it is something special.
“But coming to me, to us [#83 drivers] let’s say, I think it has been a great achievement and something which from an emotional point of view, it has been a big relief.
“It had been exactly the same in 2008 where as soon as I had won my first F1 race, I started thinking of trying to win another one.
“So it’s exactly the same feeling [as] that, yes it has been something special.”
He suffered a dramatic accident during the 2007 Canadian GP for BMW Sauber.
Next year he redeemed himself with his one and only F1 win – including seven podium finishes that year.
Even still, after his rallying accident, he returned to F1 in several campaigns.
The rallying accident diminished a pre-contract to compete for Ferrari in 2012.
And so the WEC marked his first world championship circuit racing campaign since F1 where he took 12 podiums.
Even with his European Le Mans Series titles and wins since, he finally tasted victory in a Ferrari.
A win in the making
It was the first time the #83 Ferrari came close to winning after they took 1-2-3 in qualifying at Imola.
Due to factors such as the intermittent wet weather, Toyota’s #7 GR010 and Porsche Penske’s #5 and #6 963s came out on top.
The #50 Ferrari factory 499P finished fourth and the #83 Hypercar took eighth behind the #51.
Fast forward to COTA, Kubica turned stronger pace during his opening stint than pole-sitter Antonio Giovinazzi.
The #51 Ferrari soon encountered issues and retired due to drivetrain issues from contact with the #78 Lexus RCF F LMGT3 car.
Meanwhile, the #83 kept themselves at the front of the field until the #7 Toyota of Kamui Kobayashi made a mistake.
He overtook under a yellow flag, inflicting a drive-through penalty and so Shwartzman kept him at bay to the end.
The #83 Ferrari trio stood on the top step on the podium as the sixth different winner of the season.
On the first day of September, Kubica joined the likes of Mark Webber and Fernando Alonso to have won in F1 and the post-2012 WEC era.
READ MORE: Kubica’s journey towards historic WEC Lone Star Le Mans win
Le Mans as one of motorsport’s unique races
One year after the memorable Centenary Le Mans 24 Hours when Ferrari took overall victory, optimism was in the air for the newer #83 Ferrari.
Despite retiring four hours before the end due to a hybrid issue – whilst fighting amongst the leading protagonists – Kubica explained the majesty of Le Mans.
“It’s the biggest race for not only I think for the endurance world, but generally in motorsport.
“As a race, I think Le Mans – as it is from my side – I rated it as one of the toughest and most difficult races around the planet.
“I was happy to see that we had potential, but from the other side when you have all the ingredients, you would like to make it happen.
“In the past, I have heard a lot of stories about how special it was when I was racing in F1.
“I thought in the end, it’s another race which is just longer and to be honest, I was completely wrong.
“Since I debuted in Le Mans in 2021, I really feel like this is one of the races where every driver who is going to Le Mans, even if you have been there 10 times, 15 times, you always go there with full respect and knowledge of how big a challenge it is.
“And every year Le Mans is different because of – although the track is exactly the same – you never know what scenario and how the race will develop and that’s why I think it’s so unique.
“Moreover, [compared to] any other championship, any other races, you have other opportunities.
“Le Mans is once a year.”
Connections with the factory cars as a privateer
The #83 AF Corse Ferrari 499P competes separately to the works Ferrari 499Ps, except for collaborating moments.
It is fundamentally part of Maralleno’s representation in the FIA WEC, at Le Mans, and against the eight-manufacturers of the Hypercar category.
Kubica explained the relationship their privateer entrant has with the works cars, and how that is utilised.
“As the #83, we always try to maximise ourselves.
“We use some knowledge and experience of the other two cars, because in the end we are facing every weekend for the first time with Ferrari.
“So only by asking some questions, by talking to the other drivers, you can get some information.
“In the end, what counts is your experience and your feelings.
“So, yes, we can have some information. Yes, we are using them. Yes, I try to always ask questions to get as much information as you can.
“But in the end, nothing can replace the experience on track. And to gain experience on track; you have to race.
“From a racing point of view, of course we race but you have to have respect – even if they are not your teammates because we are two different teams and racing.”
Reflecting honestly on Fuji
After the high spirits of winning in Austin came the difficulty that was Fuji, as Robert Kubica locked up his #83 Ferrari on the second lap.
Kubica initiated a multi-car collision when he hit the #5 Porsche Penske 963 of Frederic Makowiecki into Giovinazzi’s #51 Ferrari.
He spoke frankly about that fateful, uncompetitive penultimate round.
“I was not proud of what happened.
“The fact is that by a small mistake, it paid off a big price as an #83 car but also the #51 and some other cars which were involved, which you would definitely like to avoid.
“I was very surprised at what happened and how easily I locked up, and I was a passenger.
“Honestly, I was not expecting and for sure I underestimated a couple of factors which went into this front-locking effect.
“That’s how it happened. You have to think about it, you have to analyse it.
“I’m very harsh on myself so believe me, I wasn’t proud of it and I tried to understand it.
“I learned the lesson and hope I don’t repeat the mistake.”
Looking ahead to the season finale
All eight races of the 2024 FIA WEC season are almost at a conclusion with just the 8 Hours of Bahrain on 2 November.
The #83 Ferrari does not compete for the Hypercar Teams’ and Drivers’ standings.
Instead, it participated in the World Cup for Hypercar teams as one of four to do so.
JOTA’s #12 Porsche 963 claimed the title by 165 points as the British team will pursue a works-status in Cadillac machinery next year.
The #83 trail far on 122 but are keen to retain second on the #99 Proton Competition Porsche.
With this in mind, the #83 Ferrari are aiming for another win against the higher track temperatures at Sakhir.
As a result, tyre degradation is a familiar challenge at the venue since the WEC’s inaugural 6 Hours of Bahrain on 29 September, 2012.
Kubica himself made his WEC debut for High Class Racing when the six- and eight-hour weekend headers were hosted in 2021.
“I’m looking forward because I think it would be nice to go to Bahrain and it’s a track which I have been performing very well.
“It’s an eight-hour race – so I’m a big fan of the longer races.
He jokingly added: “I think in endurance – if I could decide – I would put at least four 24-hour races in the calendar because I think it’s just the essence of motorsport [and] of endurance races.
“But for an eight-hour race, it’s adding two hours which sounds little but it’s two hours which you have more chances or to make sure you go through it [the race] with good pace.”
