Q & A with Robert Kubica

Q. Any idea why Spa was so difficult for you? You didn't appear to get to grips with the car all weekend?

Robert Kubica: I think it was not as bad as we think. First of all because in the race it was quite good. We did have, again, some problems in the second stint with the pressures but in the last stint, unfortunately after a bad pitstop, the pace was good with the bad tyres. In the beginning of the weekend we were struggling, also in qualifying, so overall the car was very difficult to drive. But, I haven't spoken yet with the engineers but I think we don't have a really clear idea.

Q. Was the pressures problem a similar thing to Hungary?

RK: It was pretty much, yes.

Q. Is it something that needs sorting out?

RK: Yes. I think we have to sort it out because in the end tyre pressures are very sensitive, and if you get them wrong the handling of the car is bad. So, in the end we have to work on it and be sure that we don't do any more of these mistakes because lately we have done it too many times.

Q. Can you shed some light on what the problem is? The wrong pressure selection?

RK: It is the wrong pressures, mainly above the target quite a lot so we have to understand and analyse what is going on.

Q. What are your feelings for this weekend?

RK: Well, Monza is always quite a different track but in the end I think there will be no miracles - especially as we had a few days of testing here. As usual, I am expecting a McLaren v Ferrari fight and I am hoping that we can close the gap to them. I think fighting against those two cars will be quite difficult. Let's hope for a good balance, for a good pace, but I think there will be no miracles.

Q. What is your view on the Lewis Hamilton incident?

RK: To be honest, I haven't seen it completely so it is difficult to judge. I think most of the people have their opinion as always, but I don't really have an opinion. For me the circumstances are that in Spa, for the last three years, there are always penalties in this period of races. It was the same last year and it was the same two years ago. But I haven't seen it.

Q. As a driver are you clear on the rules about when the advantage you gain from cutting a chicane is given back?

RK: My opinion is quite clear and I think this why - if I have cut the chicane or gone wide it means that if there was a wall I will not have continued the race. So I am already happy that there was no a wall. I try always, even if I say I am maybe too cautious, I try to really slow down to show that I didn't have any advantage. In the end it is quite difficult to judge from the outside and difficult to judge being not in the car. It is better in my opinion to show it clearly that you haven't got any advantage.

Q. Do the rules need to be clarified?

RK: I don't think so. For me the rule is very clear and it has been like this for many years. You will never make everyone happy, so it is difficult. There will always be people who say that is right, or some that it is wrong. It is difficult. I am happy I am not in the place of deciding penalties or in the stewards' position.

Q. You did not seem very happy at the end of the Spa race. Can you explain a little about your feelings?

RK: The whole weekend was pretty difficult and I was pretty lucky that it turned out to be good after the circumstances at the beginning with the damp conditions, when I lost some positions at the start. I did some good overtaking and running quite good pace but not fantastic. If you see a Toro Rosso pulling away then it shows you were not the quickest one, but position wise it was pretty good. There was quite a close fight between me, Sebastien Bourdais, Sebastian Vettel and Nick Heidfeld.

In the second stint I saw Bourdais pulling away and the car was not handling good. Then we had the bad pit stop and in the final stint the car was much better once the pressures were okay. But it was already too late because I lost two positions and I lost the opportunity to fight with Bourdais - then it started raining, I was behind Nick, the radio was not working nearly all the race and by staying on the groove, if I stop behind Nick I would lose more than if I stayed with grooves. In the end it was a good choice.

For me I am still thinking about trying my best and to try and fight for the championship. I have to use the opportunities like when Kimi was off, and strange grands prix like this. Otherwise it is difficult in normal grands prix, without mistakes and without problems from McLaren and Ferrari, it is difficult to beat them.

Q. There is a feeling that BMW did not help you too much in some grands prix or are thinking about the title?

RK: From my point of view it is very clear. I am a racing driver and I am fighting for my best, and as soon as I am doing my best I am doing it for myself and for the team. It is clear that if I score eight points they go to the team and to my account, but maybe the priority of late for the team was a bit different from myself. That is why you get this feeling and to be honest I get a bit this feeling, that maybe I am the only stupid one or crazy one who is thinking about fighting for the championship this season. Until there is no chance I have to do it - and I hope the team is doing the same, and I believe they are trying. That is how it is.

Q. The team put a lot of resources into helping Nick after Canada with his qualifying problems. Did that hurt the progress?

RK: I don't know. There is no secret that the team helps Nick quite a lot, even he has mentioned it on more than one occasion that he gets very good support from the team. I think in the team vision and view it is right to do it, but in some ways I don't know if I will have an opportunity to fight for the championship in the future. You can never predict - and for me I am trying my best and sometimes mistakes happen, like in the pitstop in the last race that cost me quite important points, which might have some influence at the end of the championship.

Q. Why have BMW Sauber fallen away from McLaren and Ferrari in second part of championship?

RK: I think we didn't improve the car as much as Ferrari and McLaren. If you go deeply into the details, in the first three races we were on a very similar level to Ferrari and McLaren, but afterwards when we got to Europe the gap became bigger. In the fourth race at Barcelona, Ferrari were much stronger than us and this gap stays quite close. Even in Monaco, or Canada where I won, the gap to the fastest car was pretty big. It was just circumstances that allowed us to win the race.

But still I was fighting with Raikkonen and lately I am still fighting with Kimi, sometimes like in Valencia and in Hockenheim where I was in front of him before the safety car, but the gap to the winner becomes bigger. In Valencia I finished third, a good position, but nearly 40 seconds behind the winner. It is quite a big gap.