Q & A with Robert Kubica

Robert Kubica: It was quite positive. I did only 2009 test things, so it was difficult to say about how this Grand Prix will be.

Q. How does the 2009 stuff feel?

RK: I think the tyres, I was very positive about them. Honestly I didn't have a lot of opportunity to run in Jerez in December with the slicks but here they were giving a lot of grip and the new compounds, one of them was much too soft but the other one was very good and consistent to give a lot of grip. So I was surprised about the lap times we could achieve with very low downforce. I was expecting the car to be much slower, but the tyres were compensating a lot.

Q. What about the warm-up issues with the tyres?

RK: Well, the out lap was a bit difficult but I didn't have any issues. It was quite slippery in the beginning, but after four or five corners it was okay. Not such a big issue.

Q. So no safety aspects then?

RK: Yes, the delta could be that someone leaving the pits with cold tyres are obviously slow for a couple of corners, or maybe one lap. But that's how it will be, and we have to work in this direction.

Q. You didn't test for this race, but do you get the feeling that there is more confidence in the team now?

RK: Yes, of course the people are more confident. I am seeing more confidence building up. Of course now the confidence is quite high because we have achieved good results in past races, but also in Australia before the first race we were more confident than starting the 2007 season. I think that is normal because the group is getting stronger, the results are getting better and the car is getting better, so people are getting more confidence and that is for sure more positive.

Q. McLaren said after Bahrain that they didn't feel BMW could be a consistent threat. Do you feel you can match their development rate?

RK: We will see. I think last year we were keeping the gap consistent for the whole season, maybe the last three or four races we lost a bit - but that was normal as McLaren and Ferrari were fighting for the championship and we were clearly third so we were already working on the 2009 car. But I think we have people and we have facilities to keep the pace of development of the top teams, but we have to see. In 2007 and 2006 we had a very similar way of developing the car, so I am pretty confident.

Q. Is there a chance of a championship challenge this year?

RK: Let's put it this way: if every single race some of the top four drivers go off and have problems and you have no problems and are always consistent, there is always the chance. But pace wise, for now we are not able to win a race. But we have shown in Malaysia and Bahrain that we are not very far away, especially in Bahrain. But also in Bahrain there was quite a big difference between the pace of Massa and Raikkonen.

I think the key of this season will be consistency to be always on top, and even if you will not win races then maybe you can achieve something very good.

Q. The car is better this year, but do you feel you are driving better?

RK: I don't know. Last year's car was also a very good car and I would have been competitive because as soon as we start testing in November with 2008 regulations and without engine braking and traction control, I was going much better than with them. So I think last year I struggled with too many things, and we could not fix them - so this year it is much easier for me to extract more from the car and to set it up better.

Q. Do you think Renault has made a step forward?

RK: I think everybody has made a step forward and now the question is how big it will be. Renault has a big gap to the front so I don't believe they have moved such a big step forward in two week's time, or found out what was wrong. I don't think today in F1 you can gain six, seven or eight tenths of a second per lap in two weeks.

Q. Does having your first pole position change anything about your confidence?

RK: No, it's the same.

Q. You and Nick Heidfeld have both mentioned that the car lacks top speed. Do you think the changes you've made to the car ahead of this race will cure that?

RK: I don't know. I haven't even done a single run last week in 2008 configuration, so it is difficult to say. But I hope so.

Q. How far away do you think you are from the first win?

RK: I don't know. I was quite upset after Australia because I missed pole in qualifying, as I thought that the opportunity will not come so quickly again. But it came in Bahrain. Okay, we were lighter by four laps than Massa, but still we were able to use this opportunity and still did quite a good race.

If we are talking about winning a race with pure pace then I think we are not ready, but we are working because this is the target of the team. But it can happen that there is a crazy race like in Fuji or the Hungaroring 2006 where anything can happen. So we will see.

Q. Can you make up the pace this year?

RK: Everybody is trying to improve the car, and to get better. But you never know. Maybe one day we will get there, and suddenly McLaren and Ferrari improve another step.