M-Sport wants Robert Kubica to lead WRC team in 2014
M-Sport boss Malcolm Wilson wants Robert Kubica as his team leader in the 2014 World Rally Championship
While the Pole has yet to decide whether he will commit to a full season in the WRC, M-Sport's Ford squad is emerging as the favourite home for him if he does.
Wilson says he has seen enough of Kubica's talent to know he could lead the team.
AUTOSPORT's verdict on Kubica's WRC year
"You only have to look at the way Robert prepared for Rally GB to see what this all means to him," said Wilson.
"He has a desire and hunger which you don't see in many drivers and I truly believe he has everything that's needed to drive this team on."
M-Sport ran Thierry Neuville, Mads Ostberg and Evgeny Novikov as its full-time 2013 line-up, but has lost Neuville to the new Hyundai team and is yet to announce any 2014 drivers.
Wilson scotched talk that Kubica might struggle in the WRC's top class.
Although he won the WRC2 title this season, he crashed twice when Citroen promoted him to a World Rally Car for Rally GB.
"We know Robert and I think we could give him the right tools to move forward in rallying," said Wilson.
"It would be fantastic for us as a team to have him with us and there's no doubt he would make a very good number one driver.
"You talk about a lack of experience; look at us this year: we had a driver with very little experience [Neuville] and we got him to second in the championship."
Kubica returned to competition last week when he finished fourth on the Citta dei Mille rally in Italy.
He was driving a Peugeot 207 S2000 with Polish co-driver Jakub Gerber. The pair had to fight back from 45th following a driveshaft breakage on the first stage.
Previous article
Jari-Matti Latvala not expecting to be Sebastien Ogier's number two
Next article
Citroen confirms Kris Meeke, Mads Ostberg for 2014 WRC
About this article
| Series | WRC |
| Drivers | Robert Kubica |
| Teams | M-Sport |
| Author | David Evans |
Why the success of AVB's WRC debut won't be defined on the stages
Three years after a Dakar Rally crash resulted in him being airlifted to hospital, Andre Villas-Boas is preparing to make his debut on his home round of the World Rally Championship later this month. His goals for the event are modest, but the same cannot be said for the charities he plans to promote where his true impact could be felt
Why there's no easy fix for Hyundai's operational Achilles Heel
Hyundai Motorsport boss Andrea Adamo was vocal in his criticism of his team's tyre choices on Rally Croatia and declared that he "had better move my ass and solve it". Doing so will be vital to getting Hyundai's 2021 WRC title hopes back on track, but finding the root of the problem won't be the work of a moment
How Ogier held on after a shock bump in the road to triumph in Croatia
Sebastien Ogier was already in an incredibly tight fight at Rally Croatia before a surprise collision with public road traffic at the start of the final day. But the defending champion held his nerve to take a narrow victory and create further World Rally Championship history
Why the casualty of rallying's evolution should still be cherished
The WRC's support categories are in a process of streamlining that will spell the end of a formalised 2WD world championship-level category. While its relevance to the top level has been questioned for some time, that doesn't mean it should be swept quietly under the carpet
Why WRC's hybrid path could leave it at a crossroads
With all three major manufacturers committing to the World Rally Championship’s hybrid era from 2022, the future of the series is assured for now, but it could lead to trickier twists and turns further down the road
How Tanak froze out the competition at the Arctic Rally
Ott Tanak made up for a disastrous Monte Carlo Rally by leading all the way on the snow-kissed stages of the Arctic Rally Finland and in the process hit back at an event Toyota had been expected to dominate
What to expect from the WRC's venture to the Arctic
This week's Arctic Rally Finland will bring the World Rally Championship into new territory. And, almost without exception, the service park can't wait for the subzero challenge to commence
How Ogier achieved a fitting Monte Carlo farewell
Against pandemic-shaped odds, the World Rally Championship season opener went ahead in Monte Carlo last weekend as a familiar face again took top spot. But for an emotional Sebastien Ogier, his record-breaking eighth win meant more than most
