Kubica predicts Silverstone 'turning point'. 
Robert Kubica has predicted that the British Grand Prix at Silverstone next weekend will play a key part in deciding how the remainder of the Formula 1 season pans out.
The BMW Sauber driver took his maiden Grand Prix win in Canada to jump into the lead of the drivers' championship but then endured a more difficult weekend last time out at Magny-Cours, taking the flag down in fifth place to slip behind Felipe Massa in the title race.
The Pole has been one of the stars of the season so far and has finished inside the top five in every race this year bar the season opener in Australia, where he was forced to retire.
As such he is now regarded as a title challenger alongside the likes of Massa, defending champion Kimi Raikkonen and Lewis Hamilton although heading into the Silverstone race next weekend, he admits he still sees himself very much as the outsider taking it to the top two teams.
Indeed, after a more trying weekend in France for the Himwil-based squad following the euphoria of the 1-2 finish in Canada, Kubica said it was vital for the team to raise its game to stay in contention for honours.
Interview:
Q: Robert, after the wonderful feeling of a maiden win in Montreal, has your mood sobered after such a challenging Magny-Cours weekend? Robert Kubica: I approached the Magny-Cours event with my feet on ground and the race result was only slightly below my expectations. After the Friday sessions, I realized that the goal was to limit the damage rather than repeat the Canadian performance, and this is what happened in the end.
Q: Why do you believe the car didn’t perform as well as expected? With Lewis Hamilton’s ten-place relegation and drive-through penalty, the podium seemed to be almost a sure thing… RK: We are currently far from the pace we need in order to challenge our front-running competitors and it’s no secret that we need some good updates to get back to the level of competitiveness we showed in the early part of the season. The missed podium in Magny-Cours shows that we cannot rely on the others hitting trouble. Lewis’s penalties probably just put one less car in front of me at the finish line.
Q: France was your worst qualifying of the year, with the F1.08 half a second off the pace of the Ferraris… RK: In Magny-Cours our gap to Ferrari was the highest so far and this was emphasised by the fact that some other teams have instead closed the gap to us. It’s a signal that we need to take very seriously - and one we must react quickly to.
Q: You always played it cool when asked about your championship ambitions - even when you were leading the standings. Now there are three drivers within five points, with you sandwiched between the two Ferrari men and eight points ahead of Lewis. Do you admit that you are still a ‘hot’ candidate for the title? RK: We are almost halfway through the season and I don’t think that my second position in the championship is just by chance. Nevertheless, I still consider that I am the outsider and I’ll only tell you if I am a ‘hot’ candidate when we’re in Brazil. For the time being, I feel more like a ‘David’ against lots of ‘Goliaths’.
Q: Kimi Raikkonen drove a large part of the French Grand Prix with a section of his exhaust flailing from his car. Do you think he should have been black flagged? RK: No, I don’t think there were serious safety concerns for him or the others.
Q: The 2009 regulation changes could bring about a dramatic change in the Formula One pecking order, meaning this year could be your best shot at the title for a while. How do you think things will change next season? RK: Traditionally - and also statistically - whenever there is a major change in technical regulations, top teams have remained top teams. There may of course be some reshuffling in the first few races, but the top teams’ strength is also in their capacity to keep developing the good aspects of the car and quickly abandon the bad ones.
Q: What developments have you been testing this week and what changes can we expect to see on the car for the Silverstone race? Will they be enough to close the gap to Ferrari? RK: It’s not only the gap with Ferrari - we can also take it for granted that McLaren will also be there. Moreover, we have seen Toyota and Renault in better shape. So I think that Silverstone, and also Hockenheim, will somehow become the turning point of the season, with everybody challenging everybody else in order to find their real positioning in both the drivers’ and constructors’ championships. The test in Silverstone was altogether positive and I think that some good decisions were taken. Obviously, the answer will come next week.
Q: And how is life as a superstar back home in Poland? With every race, there are more and more Polish flags being waved at the tracks… RK: I am going to Poland very rarely, just for PR activities. What I am certainly realizing is that I could not even make two steps there in a street on my own. On the other hand, I am happy to see so many Poles coming to the races and I’ll take this opportunity to thank all of them for their huge support!