Kubica Announces His Arrival As Championship Contender

One year after an accident that could have killed him, Robert Kubica scoredan emotional victory in the Canadian grand prix. Not only was this a first for the Polish driver and his team, BMW also took a one-two finish at theend of a typically dramatic race on the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve. Kubicanow leads the championship, courtesy of his fine drive in very difficult circumstances and helped considerably by a bizarre incident which removed Lewis Hamilton and Kimi Raikkonen from this seventh round of the championship.

Hamilton appeared to be on course for another win on the anniversary of his first victory 12 months ago in Canada. Having started from pole position,Hamilton had gradually extended his lead over Kubica to six seconds when the safety car appeared after 16 laps. This coincided with the first pit stop window. When the pit lane opened, the first seven cars grabbed their chance. A slight delay within the McLaren pit saw both Kubica and Raikkonen get out ahead of Hamilton, the BMW and the Ferrari running side-by-side towards the end of the pit lane – just as the red light cameon to prevent cars leaving as other cars passed the pit exit.

Raikkonen and Kubica slammed on their brakes. Hamilton, giving chase,failed to spot the red light until the last second, drove into the back of Raikkonen, taking them both out of the race. When given the all-clear,Kubica accelerated onto the track, ready to take the lead when the cars that had not stopped eventually made their pit visits.

Kubica had to push hard during the middle phase of the race on a track that was becoming more treacherous by the lap as the surface gradually broke upin places. Using tactics made familiar by Michael Schumacher – and showing the same speed and finesse – Kubica did enough to hold his lead during his second and final stop. On a day when experience and a cool approach accounted for just as much as speed, it was perfect territory for David Coulthard to use a one-stop strategy to full advantage and score his first points of the season as the Red Bull driver came home third.

Kubica's sixth finish in the points moves him to the top of the table with Hamilton holding joint second place with Felipe Massa, who finished fifth,the only driver from McLaren and Ferrari to have scored points. As Hamilton contemplates the arrival of Kubica and BMW as serious rivals, he has the additional setback of a 10-place grid penalty at the next race in France,the stewards having decided that the Englishman could have avoided the pit lane collision.

This was the 30th anniversary of the Canadian grand prix at this track, a circuit that has provided its fair share of thrills and spills over the years. This race was no exception although Hamilton wrote a new chapter by causing a controversial significant incident at less than 10 mph.