Results 1 to 10 of 10

Thread: Kubica had signed a deal with Ferrari for 2012

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Feb 2003
    Location
    Scotland
    Posts
    32,234

    Kubica had signed a deal with Ferrari for 2012

    https://www.autosport.com/f1/news/13...-deal-for-2012

    Robert Kubica has confirmed he signed a contract to race for Ferrari in Formula 1 before suffering the rallying crash that left him with severe injuries and interrupted his career.

    Kubica was competing on the Ronde di Andora rally prior to the start of the 2011 F1 season when he crashed into a guardrail and suffered life-threatening injuries.
    He has not raced in F1 since, though returned to grand prix weekend action this season for the first time since the 2010 Abu Dhabi GP in his role as test and reserve driver for Williams having failed to land a race seat for 2018.

    It has long been thought that Kubica had an agreement to move from Renault to Ferrari for the 2012 season, but that was never formally acknowledged by either party in public.

    Speaking on F1's official podcast, Kubica revealed he had considered backing out of the Andorran event but did not want to let down the team that organised the opportunity.

    He was also aware that "the team I was going to drive for next year, I was not allowed to rally".

    Pressed by host Tom Clarkson on whether he had signed for Ferrari to partner Fernando Alonso in 2012 Kubica replied: "Yes."

    Kubica said he signed a contract with then-Ferrari team principal Stefano Domenicali and would have earned less money than at Renault.

    Kubica said: "[The] First [goal] is to enter F1. Second is to become established in F1, so you have good value, a good reputation, which is more difficult than to enter.
    "Third, you win a world championship or become a Ferrari driver.

    "I haven't won a world championship, in the end I haven't become a Ferrari driver but I was very close."

    Kubica said the knowledge that he had lost out on a Ferrari move did not make it harder for him in the aftermath of his crash.

    However, he did admit that it provides "additional pain now".

    "My recovery was so hard that for the first 16-18 months it did not hurt," said Kubica.

    "I was fighting, I was concentrating on recovery, I was going through a difficult period.

    "The more time was going the more difficult it was becoming, because the hope that things can get sorted are disappearing.

    "There were moments I was recovering extraordinarily good and there were then months when surgeries went wrong and I went back six months instead of improving.
    "It was painful [not racing in F1] but it was not more painful because I knew I was going to race for Ferrari."

    Kubica said he was not rallying "purely for fun" and had pursued the discipline because he had "the desire to become a more complete driver, to find something others don't have or that I can improve".

    "I was not happy to be as good as I was," said Kubica. "I need more. I thought rallying would give me this.

    "And it gave me [that]. The problem is I paid too high a price."
    Such a shame for him to have missed out on the Ferrari drive, wonder how it would have worked out with him and Alonso....
    Forza Ferrari

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Jan 2006
    Location
    Chicago, USA
    Posts
    416
    This absolutely breaks my heart. He was my favorite driver; I wanted to see him in red more than any other at the time. To this day his 2007 battle with Massa in the rain at the Japanese Grand Prix is one of my all time favorites.


    "If everything seems under control, you're not going fast enough" - Mario Andretti

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Jun 2004
    Location
    Maryland
    Posts
    1,743
    Too bad it didn't happen but he remains in F1's orbit though I have serious doubts about his stamina. He was a scrappy fighter in his day
    but his days at the heights (or attaining them) are probably over? FORZA ROBERT!!!

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Nov 2009
    Location
    N. Delhi/Helsinki
    Posts
    4,972
    I remember towards the end of 2010 rumours were circulating that Kubica was in talks with Ferrari and he was a very good friend of Alonso. I also remember Alonso saying that if there is one driver who could rattle him, it would be Kubica. Robert was that damn good, really Ferrari could’ve had a dream team and maybe snatch at least one constructors from RedBull

  5. #5
    FerrariSteve Guest
    So very sad, I would have loved to seen him in red and driving for Ferrari. Such a shame it never happened.

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Mar 2014
    Location
    Babes&Whisky
    Posts
    2,749
    Always thought Kubica was a good driver but not a great one. Him coming to Ferrari might have been interesting but I liked Felipe also.

  7. #7
    Join Date
    May 2010
    Location
    nameless city
    Posts
    5,462
    i guess one wouldn't want to be connected with Ferrari's second seat. look at what happened to Kubica and Bianchi. 2012 with Kubica would have been much different. however as someone once said - top drivers avoid those risks like rally injury, that makes them top drivers
    not gonna change my profile picture

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Apr 2017
    Location
    Poland
    Posts
    248
    It's very sad, hopefully he races one day. I had a dream last night about him being in the field, hopefully it will become a reality.

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Sep 2013
    Location
    Bulvania
    Posts
    2,964
    Top drivers can rally, race bikes, sky dive etc. anything they like just like the rest of us. They just should avoid getting hurt while doing it.
    "Leave the gun. Take the cannoli."

  10. #10
    Join Date
    May 2014
    Location
    New York
    Posts
    5,584
    Quote Originally Posted by Ed Harley View Post
    Top drivers can rally, race bikes, sky dive etc. anything they like just like the rest of us. They just should avoid getting hurt while doing it.
    I wonder if the top drivers contracts have any clauses as to what dangerous activities they must avoid? The rest of us don't drive for Millions$$$. There is a difference.

Bookmarks

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •