Robert Kubica’s move to full-time WRC driver is looking good according to his new team, M-Sport, who are impressed with his dedication.
The 29-year-old Polish driver made a good impact last weekend after a winning debut with M-Sport in the European Rally Championship at the wheel of a Fiesta RRC (pictured above). Robert was competing in the Jänner Rallye in Austria as a warm up for his WRC duties. A late charge on the final stage on the back of an inspired tyre choice saw him overcome an 11.8 second deficit to claim victory.
“If you look at his performance at the weekend, it was very, very strong the whole way through and he saved the best for last,” said M-Sport team boss Malcolm Wilson. “He used what experience he’s got to make a fantastic tyre choice combination.”
Adding to the strong impression already made by Kubica is willingness to work with his new engineers.
“What’s really shocked me is the amount of dedication and commitment that he puts into it,” added Wilson. “As an example, with the restrictions on his arm, he was at the workshop till 11pm the other night working with the engineers to reconfigure the handbrake and gearshift mechanism.”
For the 2014 season, Maciej Szczepaniak will replace Kubica’s former co-driver Maciek Barran, who retired from rallying late last year.
Szczepaniak was beside Kubica for last weekend’s ERC win and with greater time together and more time in the Fiesta RS WRC Malcolm Wilson expects Kubica will improve as the 2014 season progresses.
“Some of the times he was doing in WRC2, nobody has got that close to World Rally Car pace in a regional car before,” Wilson said. “In the second half of the season with the Tarmac events he’s already done, he’s going to be really strong.”
[Source: Autosport | Pic: M-Sport]