39-year-old driver admits he didn’t expect 2022 test to be last time he drove F1 car

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Polish star Robert Kubica has admitted that he didn’t believe that his Alfa Romeo test in 2022 would be his last involvement in Formula 1.

Robert Kubica was one of the most talented drivers of his generation, regularly fighting with the likes of Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso.

Now, speaking to Gazzetta dello Sport, Kubica has been speaking about the abrupt end to his F1 career.

The 39-year-old was highly-rated as a youngster and when he won Formula Renault 3.5 in 2005 alongside his role as Renault test driver, it was only a matter of time until he was on the grid.

He spent three-and-a-half seasons with Sauber, forming a fantastic partnership with German driver Nick Heidfeld.

Kubica had several huge crashes including one in Canada that still lives long in the memory.

However, he returned to Montreal 12 months later and won what turned out to be the only race of his F1 career.

A life-changing injury at the start of 2011 put his racing career on hold and denied him a drive with Ferrari.

He miraculously returned to the grid with Williams, although he later admitted that was a mistake given the team’s poor performance at the time.

But Kubica has now said that he didn’t realise at the time that a test with Alfa Romeo in 2022 would be his final involvement in Formula 1.

He’s forged a career away from F1 and showcased his impressive pace in sports cars, winning the FIA World Endurance Championship last year and recording back-to-back second-place finishes in the LMP2 class of 24 Hours of Le Mans.

Kubica recalls final Formula 1 test

Speaking about getting the call-up from Alfa Romeo, Kubica said: “It was an unexpected epilogue. When I drove the Alfa Romeo in the Abu Dhabi 2022 free practice, I didn’t think it would be the last time.

“But Orlen, who will also follow me with AF Corse in the WEC, didn’t find the agreement with Sauber to continue.

“And I wanted to stay in F1 to drive, even just in tests, not to be a mascot in the paddock.

“So I’m happy with where I am now. At 39 years old, the engine that drives me is a passion for this sport, there is a risk that it will continue for several more years.”

Kubica wasn’t called up by Alfa Romeo as their test and reserve driver in Formula 1 in 2022 after racing twice for the team the year before.

He was never given the chance to race in a top team after his accident and it would have been fascinating to see just what he could have achieved had he never suffered those injuries.

There isn’t a Polish driver in Formula 2 ready to carry Kubica’s legacy on right now, but 17-year-old Kacper Sztuka will make his F3 debut with MP Motorsport this year.