Robert Kubica delighted to seal Belgium Grand Prix Podium
Robert Kubica of Renault is in high spirits after clinching the third spot at this Sunday’s Belgian Grand Prix. The Polish driver could have booked the second spot had it not been for his mistake-ridden final pit stop, but a podium finish was more than sufficient to cheer up Kubica. Renault’s laudable performance at the Spa-Francorchamps circuit means the R30’s latest upgrade, the F-Duct, has yielded fruit.
Kubica said the Spa-Francorchamps circuit was a tricky venue with ever-changing weather conditions, and therefore it was highly rewarding for him to have performed so well at such a challenging track. The Polish driver remarked that although he had managed to avoid big errors, he had nevertheless fallen prey to the demands of the unforgivable Spa-Francorchamps circuit in a mistake that eventually cost him the second spot. Yet the Polish must congratulate himself for making it to the podium in a race where several big names crashed out of the run after making some costly errors.
Championship contenders Fernando Alonso, Sebastian Vettel, Jenson Button and team Williams’ veteran driver, Ruben’s Barrichello, were amongst those who did not manage to finish the race in Belgium, this Sunday. Sebastian Vettel was a victim of his own misjudgment, but McLaren’s Jenson Button was forced to crash out of the race for no fault of his own. The Englishman was left less than impressed when an error on part of Red Bull Racing’s Vettel sent the German driver’s RB6 crashing into Button’s MP4-25, making it impossible for Button to continue racing. Vettel was duly awarded with a drive-through penalty by the Belgium race stewards, and that in effect, pretty much ruined the rest of the German’s race.
Ruben’s Barrichello, who was celebrating his record 300th participation in a Grand Prix, also did not last very long on the tracks after making a mistake in the early stages of the race. Ferrari’s, Fernando Alonso’s campaign also ended without bearing any fruit after the Ferrari driver lost control of his car as he was departing from the Les Combes.
Considering the bout of ill-fortune that managed to plague three of the biggest names on the grid this Sunday, Kubica therefore, has plenty of reasons to smile. The Polish driver lauded the efforts of the Renault team back at the factory who had striven hard to upgrade the R30 so that it could match the race-winning pace of the Ferrari F10, the Red Bull RB6 and the McLaren MP4-25.
Kubica pointed out it was a great achievement to have clinched the third spot considering he had been pitted against the blistering paces of Formula One podiums’ usual suspects. Robert Kubica now stands at the 7th spot with 104 points in the championship standings behind Ferrari’s Felipe Massa. Massa, meanwhile, has so far bagged 109 points for the Scuderia this season, and currently stands behind his fifth-placed team mate, Fernando Alonso, in the rankings.
Now that Renault have upgraded the R30 with the F-30, an update which has yielded almost instant results, it will be fair to expect the team to present a noteworthy challenge to the sport’s leading guns in subsequent Grands Prix. Meanwhile, Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso has said it is too early to write him off the title race, vowing to do everything he can to revitalize his hopes for the championship title. However, the Spaniard admitted that another less than smooth campaign for Ferrari will truly spell disaster for the Italian team. Alonso said the upcoming Italian Grand Prix in Monza will be a crucial test for his team, and there will be the added pressure of racing on home soil. Yet, a poor showing at the Belgian Grand Prix might not be the only worry on Alonso’s mind. The World Motor Sport Council’s (WMSC) verdict over the Ferrari team orders controversy at the 2010 German Grand Prix is also about to be announced this month, and Alonso must be hoping no points will be docked from him.
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