Kubica signs with Renault until 2012
In a press release Wednesday Renault announced that Robert Kubica has agreed to a two-year contract extension. The driver has signed up for at least another two seasons, ending the speculations Kubica was moving to Mercedes or Ferrari.
“We are delighted that Robert will remain with us for the next two seasons and I would like to thank him for the faith he has shown in his team,” said Eric Boullier, team principal. Kubrica's good year sparked rumours that he was shopping around for contracts, and Boullier was worried he would lose a good driver.
“Our clear goal is to become title contenders over the next two years. To do so, we need a driver of Roberts’ calibre.”
Kubica has had an impressive first half of the 2010 season. He had podium finishes in Australia and Monaco, and holds the 6th place ranking of the world’s drivers’ championship.
Renault didn’t want Kubica to be persuaded over to Ferrari; the company appreciates him as a driver because of his commitment to the sport and almost flawless performances. Kubica is a very quick driver who doesn’t make a lot of mistakes.
Kubica first joined with Renault after leaving BMW Sauber at the end of last year. He had tested for the team in his junior career but only became part of it last year. Kubica had been with BMW Sauber since 2006. When the company announced they were leaving Formula One at the end of 2009, he became a free agent. He replaced Fernando Alonso when he joined forces with Renault.
“It was a straightforward decision for me to continue with a team where I feel at home” said the 25-year-old Pole. “What’s important to me is the right atmosphere, with a good group of people, where everybody is pulling in the same direction. This is what we have tried to build from the beginning of my time with Renault.”
Renault confirmed it was the team who committed to contending for the title again. The Renault team has had a strong rate of technical development, one of the elements Kubica found so appealing. Kubica is fifth in the constructor’s championship with 89 points. That puts him only 20 points behind rivals Mercedes. Kubica’s two podium finishes with Renault are better than Michael Schumacher has done at Mercedes.
Kubica is glad to be working with the Renault team again, and has big plans for their future together:
“I think we’ve already achieved a lot together, and I believe that with plenty of effort, time and the right approach, we can move even further forward...not just for the rest of this season but also for next year when there are more big rule chances on the way. I am really looking forward to the challenge.”
Kubica is one of the highest-rated F1 drivers, and has only finished outside the top 10 once. At the Bahrain Grand Prix season opening Kubica placed 11th after spinning on the opening lap. The deal with Renault was made before the company was signed over in part to the Genii Capital Company.
Kubica will race at next week’s British Grand Prix, which kicks off July 15th at Silverstone. He weighed in his two cents on the revamped track, stating:
“The ideal set-up requires you to have a lot of high-speed stability because you need to have a good balance for a quick change in direction, particularly around the high-speed Maggotts and Beckettes section of the lap.”
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