Kubica wins Italian rally in WRC car

Robert Kubica has scored his first win in a World Rally Car - dominating the Rally del Casentino in Italy on Saturday.

The Polish star was driving an A-Style-run Ford Fiesta RS WRC and won 10 out of the 12 asphalt stages run around Bibbiena, north of Arezzo.

Kubica won the event by more than two and a half minutes from Citroen DS3 WRC driver Felice Re to take his second win of the year after his Janner Rally success at the wheel of a Fiesta RRC in January.

Kubica explained his reason for contesting the event, saying: "I have not driven on dry tarmac since last year's World Rally Championship event in Spain, where I was driving a Regional Rally Car, so this would be good experience."

Kubica was without his usual co-driver Maciek Szczepaniak, fellow Pole countryman Przemek Mazur deputised for the holidaying Szczepaniak.

Forced to give best to Corrado Fontana and his more powerful Ford Focus RS WRC on the mile-long opening stage on Friday night, Kubica was into his stride on Saturday and reeled off a string of fastest times to move to the front and control the national level event.

Kubica's next event will be Rally Finland at the end of July, but he will test his Fiesta RS WRC for a day in Finland the week before the event.