Kubica eager to write the next chapter in his career as he defends Le Mans win with Ferrari

For Robert Kubica, returning to Le Mans as a defending winner was an opportunity and a “privilege” he couldn’t turn down.

The 41-year-old Polish racer made history last year at the end of the race, steering the privately entered No. 83 AF Corse Ferrari 499P to victory, capturing a third consecutive overall win for the Prancing Horse and the first for him and his teammates, Ye Yifei and Phil Hanson. 12 months on, he’s back and ready to write another chapter in his career.

Of all the storylines that will be tracked throughout this year’s event, Ferrari’s quest for four wins with its 499P and the satellite team’s push to go back-to-back stand out. This year, on the face of it, appears to be the most open since the centenary race in 2023, with the last seven WEC races won by six different manufacturers. Ferrari also hasn’t won a race since last year's 24 Hours of Le Mans.

Yet nobody should be counting out the prospect of four consecutive Ferrari wins, as both AF Corse Hypercar operations – factory and private – have shown what they are capable of with the package they have, when the pressure is at its highest. And the uncomfortable truth is that if they pull it off, it would send shockwaves through the FIA WEC’s Hypercar pack at a crucial point in ongoing discussions about the category’s future technical regulations. How much damage would a fourth consecutive win at Le Mans by the same car, in a BoP-governed era, do to the formula, its credibility and its longevity? It’s a legitimate question we may find ourselves asking.

The Hypercar field looks finely balanced, but Kubica and his Ferrari teammates are in a position to give that impression a significant jolt if they win again at the sport's biggest race. Sjoerd van der Wal/Getty Images

Nevertheless, Kubica and his teammates won’t – and shouldn’t – be factoring any of that into their defense of the crown. Nobody at Ferrari will be thinking about it either; the last thing it would do is step aside to let a rival win. This is a ruthless operation that's here to win. It's up to everyone else to meet the challenge.

What the No. 83 crew achieved at last year’s race shouldn’t be overlooked either in this stream of 499P excellence at La Sarthe. In many ways, the win appears more impressive now than it did at the time. Up against the two factory Ferraris that had won the previous two editions, and a highly charged factory 963 out to score Roger Penske his first Le Mans win and Porsche its 20th, they emerged victorious for their one and only win of the year. And it came in a 24-hour race that played out like a sprint, with just one safety car during the night and three full-course yellows breaking up the action.

“We came into the race after a disappointing 2024 edition, because we were competitive and retired with technical issues. It’s such a big challenge, but as a team we prepared so well; it’s an event that requires a lot of energy,” Kubica says to RACER in reflection. “You have to be confident, and we were, but I have respect for the race and this paddock. You know that if someone has a better day and makes fewer mistakes, they will beat you. And last year was such a fast race, with four cars close together in the final hours.

"There was a mixture of feelings for me. I was aware of what was going on, what we were facing and what we could have achieved, but in the end, we were in the mix for most of the race and managed to execute perfectly. I think I did a reasonable job in the car. There was a point in the race where if we built enough of a gap, we were able to fit another set of tires for the last stint, which took away the risk of puncture. In a way, the Porsche (which finished second) made it less stressful, if it didn’t slot between us (and the factory cars), who knows? I think it made my life easier!

"Sometimes when you have pressure, you become more tense and think too much. But I was pretty calm and straightforward, and actually, I felt that pressure gave me more motivation.

"What stands out is after the race. When I was recovering from my accident (a rally crash in 2011 that left him with severe impairment to his right arm and hand) and had a lot of time to think, I felt I regretted not celebrating too much. I get happy, but I am not a big showman or a party guy. So with Canada, when I won my first race in F1, it was a big achievement, but I took my first possible flight back to Europe to test in Barcelona, and I was the only driver present on Tuesday morning. Now, I realize that there are moments in your life when you should give a bit of celebration, in respect of what you achieved, for yourself and your team. So I promised myself I would celebrate if I won something big again.

“But I crossed the line, and it was a relief; it was like a balloon, all the air was gone. I was so, so tired, listening to the radio, and I drove slowly to the Esses and realized I hadn’t even said anything to the team over a minute after crossing the line. I look back at pictures.... and I admit you cannot force yourself to do things that don’t come naturally. I was happy, and it was different to Canada, actually, because of the tiredness, but there was so much stress in and out of the car."

Victory at Le Mans brought Kubica more relief than joy, adding to his desire to experience it again. Jakob Ebrey/Getty Images

After last year’s Le Mans, the second half of the season was tough for the trio in the bright yellow 499P. A maximum double points haul from the 24 Hours catapulted them into title contention, but the run to Bahrain was a struggle, littered with mistakes and frustrating moments. The body language of all three drivers from São Paulo to Bahrain told its own story as they struggled to fight at the sharp end, finishing no higher than fifth in the final four races and eventually settling for second in the standings.

Looking back, Kubica feels it was a wasted opportunity, but that adversity ultimately didn't put him off returning.

“Honestly, there are a few things which I cannot get into,” he says. “Last year was just a waste. It was similar to 2008 in Formula 1, but for different reasons. Back then, we won Canada, and it should have been a chance to build on a strong result, but it wasn’t, and this felt like that.

“We were trying to stay in the fight. But it was difficult to win it, and we made mistakes. I think of Austin – we messed up in the pit lane, lost a lot of positions and momentum, and we had another issue that cost us around 30 seconds in the pits. After that, in racing, everything is possible, but in order for us to win it, the No. 51 crew would have needed bad luck somewhere, and that’s not the way you would want to achieve it.”

The nature of the run-in created uncertainty about the look and feel of Ferrari's satellite Hypercar operation heading into 2026. Would the third car return in the absence of any competition for the FIA WEC Hypercar World Cup for privateer entries? Would there be any movement in the driver roster? And specifically, would Kubica opt to ride into the sunset after a remarkable career?

But after all the speculation, much of it centered on Kubica’s future, he decided to come back to attempt to win Le Mans again and fight for a Hypercar drivers’ world championship alongside Hanson and Yifei.

“Honestly, there is one reason I came back,” he explains. “I did not have many chances in my life to come back to a race that I won the year before. It’s a privilege of my motorsport life to have opportunities to go to Le Mans.

“There was a certain period, post-Le Mans, where I thought I might look at something else to do, but I want to race Le Mans. I want to experience it again and I will regret it if I don’t do it and miss the opportunity to go racing in a competitive package as a race winner of the year before for such an iconic race.

“I think there is pressure on everyone ahead of Le Mans – pressure to face the challenge, to finish the race, to bring home a result. Winning is always better, but sometimes you can go home happy with P6 if you delivered your best. Le Mans is more than winning; it’s about the challenge and going home happy knowing it was the maximum you could achieve.

“My goal this year is to continue this positive trend I’m on at the race. I go back with more experience, more knowledge, and I would say I feel even more prepared than I was last year.”