Interview: quiet man Kubica bides his time

It has been like that at every race this season for BMW Sauber's 'Man Friday', the Polish test driver who takes part in only the first two practice sessions in the Formula One team's third car.

Despite some excitable headlines at home, and punning talk about him being in 'Pole position' to become his country's first Formula One driver, the 21-year-old from Krakow prefers to keep a low profile.

"I'm really proud that I joined Formula One, just as I think it is the dream and goal of all young drivers. I am here and I am really happy," he told Reuters.

"Of course in Poland there is more interest in Formula One now but I am not really proud of this, I don't like to be a showman, I don't like to create interest in me," he added.

"They (Poles) expect a lot of things but I am not interested," he added.

"In the end my career will not depend on what the newspapers in Poland are writing...everything comes from the driving. I want to be a driver, I don't want to be a showman. That's why I am trying to be as simple as possible."

That may become increasingly difficult as Kubica becomes better known.

Austrian Gerhard Berger, a former BMW motorsport director who is now a part-owner of the Toro Rosso team after a long racing career, highlighted the Pole recently as one of the young drivers to watch along with Germany's Nico Rosberg and Renault tester Heikki Kovalainen.

Kubica looks a good fit for BMW, seemingly in a similar mould to Germany's Nick Heidfeld as a quiet man in the noisiest of sports.

Heidfeld has a long-term contract with BMW, who bought Sauber last year, and is one of the few drivers to know where he will be next year.

Canadian teammate Jacques Villeneuve is less certain but Kubica said he saw no reason why there should be a vacancy at the team.

"I think Jacques is pushing really hard this year and doing a really good job," he said. "I think he is doing a much better job than everybody expected.

"I don't see the reason why he should stop at the end of this year. We have to wait. I am doing my job and what will happen in the next six months I don't care really. I am trying to concentrate on the present and what is going on now, not the future."

Kubica wants to race but, after years climbing through karting and the junior formulae and taking last year's World Series by Renault title, he is happy also to have a season in the background.

"Maybe I say something which some people say is not possible, but after 11 years of racing sometimes it is good to have a rest," he said.

"Of course I miss it, but I was expecting it to be harder to stay out of the car and watch everybody."