Robert Kubica on COTA: “We must target a top five finish”
Robert Kubica is one of a handful of drivers on the grid for the Lone Star Le Mans to have raced previously at the Circuit of The Americas and will be looking to put that experience to good use for round six of the FIA WEC.
The Polish driver last raced in Texas at the 2019 US Grand Prix, competing for Williams Racing that season. For the WEC’s first visit to the Austin circuit since 2020, he will be racing the no83 AF Corse Ferrari 499P alongside Robert Schwartzman and Yifei Ye.
What does Robert Kubica think of the track at the Circuit of The Americas? “I remember track pretty well because we have been there testing three weeks ago,” he said. “We did two days testing, plus a Michelin test, so plenty of laps. It is a nice track but, of course, in F1 it felt bit different to Hypercar. It is still very challenging and very bumpy. We know the organisers resurfaced most of the parts which were bumpy, I think, for our race.
“It will be challenging because of weather. The recent test was not so warm. I think it was unusual to have such a relatively low temperatures for this period of the year in Texas. So, it will be big challenge.
One of the parts of the track that most of the drivers will highlight, is the Esses through the first sector. But, if I have to be honest, all track has different characteristic corners, and CoTA is a one of my favourite modern tracks.
“I remember in 2019 going there for the first time, and we have seen modern tracks which, from driver's point of view, are not very exciting. CoTA, from the layout point of view, is a very nice track.”
So does Robert Kubica think the circuit will provide a good challenge the Hypercars and, in particular, suit the Ferrari?
“Weather will have a big effect and tyre degradation will be crucial. One thing we noticed on the test was quite a lot of marbles around the track and there were not many cars there, there were six Hypercars and one GT car. So, with the whole field it might be quite important to follow the lines. Of course, the traffic, which is the DNA of endurance races, will play an important role.
“From the performance point of view, the car in the test felt much nicer and much better than in Brazil. We were coming from a disappointing weekend in Sao Paulo, and straight away in Austin, we had a better feeling. In testing, you never know what other teams are running, what they are testing and what package they operate. However, I'm definitely looking forward to this race.”
What is the realistic goal for the AF Corse team for the weekend in Texas? “We have seen a very competitive field this year in the WEC, with cars being close together. Of course, some races, even some part of the races, one car is faster than the other. However, there are many factors which have big influence on the final result.
“We must target a top five finish, and I think we have potential to do this. We need to be able to extract maximum from our package - drivers, engineers, guys on the pit stop, mechanics. To be competitive in this field, you need to have all pieces of the puzzle working well together.”
The Lone Star Le Mans gets underway at 13h00 local time on Sunday 1 September.
