Kubica says gathering experience more important than rally wins
Robert Kubica says the experience he is gaining of gravel rallying is far more important to him than the WRC 2 victories he is racking up
The Pole has now won his class in two of the three World Rally Championship events he has contested, which have been his first competitive gravel rallies.
Asked what the dominant Acropolis and Italy WRC 2 wins meant to him, Kubica replied: "It doesn't mean a lot, to be honest. What I have learned means a lot, it's very big knowledge.
"I did only three events, but when you have zero experience those three events bring you, percentage-wise, a lot of experience."
Although he regards this season as a learning quest, Kubica reckons he learns more when flat out.
"From experience comes lessons and knowledge," he said.
"When you drive slow, you try to finish the rally but you don't learn so much because you have to be close to the limit to see if the pace notes are right, in order to see how the car behaves, how the surface grip is changing. So you have to find the balance."
He also insists he is under no illusions about how much progress he must still make despite his recent wins.
"Of course it looks nice but I know that from my point of view there is a long way to go and in order to achieve things I want to improve my pace." Kubica said.
CAN KUBICA BE WRC 2 CHAMPION?
Kubica is only fourth in the class standings, 35 points behind leader Abdulaziz Al-Kuwari, who finished a distant second in Italy.
But the title battle is still wide open under the WRC 2 system. Competitors enter seven rallies of their choice from the 13-round calendar, and count their best six scores.
Al-Kuwari has already done five rallies to Kubica's three, while second and third placed Nicolas Fuchs and Yuriy Protasov have now done six rounds.
AUTOSPORT understands that, despite stating concerns about how far his budget will stretch, Kubica will do a full seven-round programme, so has a fair chance of outscoring those ahead.
He must also watch for works-supported Skoda drivers Sepp Wiegand and Esapekka Lappi. Wiegand has done four rallies and is three points behind Kubica, while the highly-rated Lappi might only have 25 points to date, but has only started two events.
WRC 2 standings after seven of 13 rounds:
Pos Driver Points Rallies contested 1. Abdulaziz Al-Kuwari 93 (5) 2. Nicolas Fuchs 78 (6) 3. Yuriy Protasov 65 (6) 4. Robert Kubica 58 (3) 5. Sepp Wiegand 55 (4) 6. Armin Kremer 40 (4) 7. Ricardo Trevino 39 (5) 8. Rashid Al-Ketbi 26 (4) 9. Yazeed Al Rahji 25 (1) 10. Esapekka Lappi 25 (2)
Rally Italy: Robert Kubica threatened to pull out over dust issue
WRC calendar delayed by one month
How Tanak turned the tables to deliver Hyundai a timely WRC triumph
The 2019 champion has been a bit-part player recently, but Ott Tanak ended a 15-month drought in fine style with a dominant win in Sardinia. On a weekend when championship leader Kalle Rovanpera struggled with cleaning the road, his Hyundai rival has made his belated arrival into the title race and given cause for those predicting a walkover from the Toyota star to pause
How Rovanpera overcame rallying royalty in Portugal to extend his WRC lead
Although the Rally Portugal entry list featured World Rally Championship royalty in Sebastiens Loeb and Ogier, victory was secured by rallying's rising star in Kalle Rovanpera. Here's the story of his 2022 hat-trick, as his key rivals faltered among the gravel and asphalt ahead of them
The former WRC star playing the unsung hero role for Rovanpera
Kalle Rovanpera’s 2022 World Rally Championship displays have been spectacular, with the Toyota driver benefitting from a secret weapon in his crew to win two of the opening three rallies. But while the former challenger to Sebastien Loeb won’t take credit for his fellow Finn's performances, a key bond has been formed which could prove key to Rovanpera’s title charge
How Rovanpera's Croatia turnaround sent a message to his WRC rivals
After a dominating Rally Croatia, a wrong tyre choice on the final day looked to have undone all Kalle Rovanpera's hard work and left him with a mountain to climb heading into the power stage. That he emerged the winner all the same has surely quelled any lingering doubts that the Finn is the man to beat in the 2022 WRC
How M-Sport's faith in Loubet led to a WRC reprieve after a dismal 2021
It's fair to say 2021 was a year to forget for Pierre-Louis Loubet. A maiden full World Rally Championship season offered hope but soon turned into a nightmare that ended in hospital, after being hit by a car in a road traffic accident. Now handed a lifeline by M-Sport, the Frenchman is desperate to rebuild his career
Why WRC mechanics deserve more respect
The drivers get the glare of attention, but it’s the mechanics who are key to the operation of any World Rally Championship car. Autosport donned a set of overalls and joined M-Sport on a Belgian national rally event to get an inside look into the trials and tribulations of a rally mechanic
The African McRae aiming to become a WRC pioneer
Taking his first step into the Junior World Rally Championship category, McRae Kimathi - named after 1995 world champion Colin - found himself in the unfamiliar climes of Sweden's snow and ice. Having impressed, Kimathi hopes to blaze a trail to the top level of WRC and help other African drivers to step onto the ladder
How Rovanpera grabbed the Rally Sweden spotlight after the Loeb vs Ogier show
After a blockbuster opening act to the new era of the World Rally Championship with the battle of the Sebastiens at Monte Carlo, Rally Sweden would be the first chance to assess the next superstar of rallying. While teething issues with the new hybrid power thwarted some of the cast, Kalle Rovanpera’s display gave him headline billing