Robert Kubica says he and Fernando Alonso share mutual “respect” but it “wouldn't have been difficult” to beat him in the same car at Ferrari if they had joined the team together. he said.
The Polish driver had been heavily linked with a move to the Scuderia after impressing in his early years in F1, but a near-fatal rally accident in early 2011 left him with his friend and longtime colleague at Ferrari. A potential connection with his rival did not pay off. .
Kubica made a remarkable return to F1 in the late 2010s with Williams and Alfa Romeo, but he never achieved the same level of success and recognition as before his accident.
Robert Kubica assesses possibility of facing Fernando Alonso at Ferrari
Alonso continued to drive at his best for Ferrari, making the most of his dominant car as he came close to winning two World Championships in 2010 and 2012 respectively. At the end of 2023, he almost missed his second title against Sebastian Vettel, who admitted that the season just ended was his best in terms of driving.
Kubica will drive for Ferrari next season in AF Corse's 499P hypercar in the World Endurance Championship after winning three classes in LMP2 last year, but an F1 drive with the Scuderia is a realistic possibility at some stage. It looked like.
The 39-year-old has previously explained his belief that Alonso is “better than anyone” in F1, but believes the challenge of competing against him in a comparable car was not insurmountable.
“Me and Alonso at Ferrari? I've always respected Fernando and I still do,” Kubica told Italian newspaper La Gazzetta dello Sport.
“When we raced in F1, we respected each other. It is often said that the first person a driver wins is his teammate, but in order to win, you have to beat everyone, including your teammate. I always think that I have to.
“It wouldn't have been difficult to beat Fernando in the same car and I would have enjoyed the challenge anyway.
“We think the same way in many ways and having two drivers who get along well in the box is an advantage for the team.”
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Similarly, Alonso has praised Kubica when speaking publicly over the years, previously reasoning that he was the best of his generation as he rose through the ranks.
“I think it's because he won in all the little categories,” Alonso said of the former BMW Sauber driver in 2017.
“When go-karts were the same, when they were running in smaller categories, the same single-seaters, the same cars, he was beating all the generations that are winning now. So I think he's the best.”
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