Kubica hopes '06 is start of long career

The World Series by Renault Champion will be BMW's reserve driver and will also take part in all Friday practice sessions during Grand Prix weekends.

Attending the team's launch in Valencia today, the Polish driver said: "This is a big opportunity for me this year, as it gives me an important role in the team. It will be a very big challenge for me, and I hope I will grow with the team and get to stay here longer."

Kubica refused to draw comparison with World Champion Fernando Alonso, who won the World Series by Nissan title, and said he would rather not think about his future before he accumulates more experience in Formula One.

"Let's concentrate on this year and then we think about the future," he replied when asked if Alonso was his role model.

"I want to do a good job this year, to understand how F1 works - both the car and team - and get more experience. You cannot get experience from reading books or watching films."