Robert Kubica reveals biggest fear as F1 favourite enters twilight stages of career

Robert Kubica has admitted that the thought of retirement “scares me”, as he approaches his 40th birthday this year.

While no longer in Formula 1, the former BMW Sauber, Renault and Williams driver has continued to fuel his passion in the World Endurance Championship – winning the LMP2 class title last season and finishing runner-up in class at the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

He will step up to Hypercars this time around with Ferrari as the top tier of sportscar racing continues to broaden, and the thought of retirement is one that has not yet crossed the Polish driver’s mind.

Robert Kubica weighs in on retirement worries

Kubica’s Formula 1 career was halted after a life-threatening crash during a rally he took part in during the off-season in 2011, sustaining major injuries to multiple parts of his body that required lengthy surgery – seeing him sidelined for the entire season.

Even though it would be years before he returned to the Formula 1 grid, the fact he was able to get back there at all was a remarkable achievement in itself given the nature of his injuries.

Though he has moved across to WEC, he does not see himself hanging up his gloves any time soon.

“How long will I continue racing? I have had the great fortune that my passion has become my job,” Kubica told Italian publication La Gazzetta dello Sport.

“Every year I still feel the same love for motorsport. At 39 years old, this is the engine that drives me.

“Thinking about quitting and maybe finding myself in a working environment where I’m not doing well scares me.

“I’m a driver, I want to race, I’m fine where I am now, that’s why there’s a risk I’ll go on racing for several more years.”

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Prior to his rallying accident, Kubica had been slated to drive for Ferrari alongside Fernando Alonso the following season.

He has spoken of his admiration of the Spaniard, which has been reciprocated by Alonso himself before, and he revealed that it was the case the 2012 seat at Ferrari had been due to be his before a life-threatening crash halted his Formula 1 career.

Even though it is not a works Formula 1 Ferrari, he added he is looking forward to the challenge of representing the brand in the Hypercar class in the World Endurance Championship in 2024.

“Potentially we would have been a high-risk couple, but I think we would have actually done great things together,” he said of a potential match-up with Alonso.

“The scenario for the future was supposed to be this, when I had the accident, because in 2012 I was supposed to go to Ferrari where Fernando was.

“Then it didn’t happen, because life served me another scenario. But today I am as happy for this new adventure at Le Mans with the red car as I was when I signed for Ferrari back then.”

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