What happened to Formula 1’s most promising star that everyone thought would win the world championship?
Robert Kubica is the only Polish driver ever to race in Formula 1. He first appeared in 2006 with BMW Sauber and went on to win the 2008 Canadian Grand Prix, which was the only win of his career. In 2019, Lewis Hamilton, who raced karts with Kubica back in 1997, called him “one of the most talented drivers” he had ever competed against.
That same year, Kubica made a brief return to Formula 1 as a Williams driver. Although his comeback only lasted for the 2019 season, he still managed to score the team’s only point by finishing 10th in Germany. This was a big deal because just years before, in 2011, Kubica had a terrible rally crash that nearly took his life. He suffered serious injuries, including partial amputation of his forearm, and was told he might never race again.
Formula 1 expert Ted Kravitz called Kubica “the greatest lost talent” the sport has ever seen. Kubica was known for his incredible speed and was even close to joining Ferrari before his crash. Kravitz explained that Ferrari, encouraged by Fernando Alonso, had offered Kubica a test contract for the 2012 season, and all he had to do was race one more year with Renault. Kubica believed he could challenge Alonso, who was one of the world’s best drivers at the time.
Ayao Komatsu, now Haas team principal, first crossed paths with Kubica when he was an engineer at Renault. Komatsu believed Kubica could become a world champion if he had the right car. Despite all the setbacks, Kubica proved the doubters wrong. In 2025, he won the 24 Hours of Le Mans for Ferrari, marking their third straight win in the race.
Kubica made history as the first Polish driver to win Le Mans overall, alongside teammate Ye Yifei, who became China’s first champion. This win is often called one of the greatest comeback stories in sports and a huge moment of redemption for Kubica’s career. Still, fans often wonder what might have been if his career hadn’t been interrupted.