Robert Kubica has explained why he sees so much of himself in Fernando Alonso, praising the two-time Formula 1 world champion’s extraordinary passion for racing and his determination to continue competing despite no longer having the fastest car. The Polish driver, who won the 2025 24 Hours of Le Mans with Ferrari, believes their shared mentality reflects something fundamental about drivers who have dedicated almost their entire lives to motorsport.
For Robert Kubica, Fernando Alonso represents far more than a successful Formula 1 driver. Having known the Spaniard for over 20 years, the 41-year-old recognises the same enduring love of competition that has shaped his own extraordinary career, from a near-fatal rally accident to his remarkable return to Formula 1 and eventual victory at Le Mans.
Robert Kubica explains his admiration for Fernando Alonso
Whenever Robert Kubica’s name comes up, words such as talent and misfortune are rarely far away. Yet resilience and redemption are equally important parts of his story. Belonging to the same generation as Fernando Alonso and Lewis Hamilton, the Polish driver might, under different circumstances, have shared many more victories and defining moments with his former Formula 1 rivals.
Robert Kubica and Fernando Alonso have more in common than their generation. Both are exceptionally talented drivers with very different personalities, but their understanding of motorsport appears to have remained unchanged despite the passing years.
Speaking in an interview with Mundo Deportivo, Robert Kubica explained why he continues to admire Fernando Alonso, particularly his willingness to keep fighting even when the machinery available to him is not capable of challenging for victories.
“The difference between someone who truly has passion and someone who is a fighter becomes clear when they continue fighting even without the fastest car. It would be much easier for Fernando to say enough is enough, end his career and walk away. Instead, he is still there, giving everything. At his age, that is something wonderful.”
His admiration extends far beyond the two Formula 1 World Championships Fernando Alonso won in 2005 and 2006. For Robert Kubica, the Spaniard’s determination to remain competitive is an achievement worthy of recognition in itself.
“You have to respect him not only for what he has achieved, but above all for his enormous passion. It is something you either have or you don’t. I believe he will keep racing for as long as he can, for as long as he wants to and for as long as he continues to experience those feelings.”
Robert Kubica sees himself in Fernando Alonso’s passion for racing
At 41, Robert Kubica knows exactly what it means to build an entire life around motorsport. His victory with Ferrari at the 2025 24 Hours of Le Mans offered further evidence that his competitive spirit remains intact, even after the enormous challenges he has experienced throughout his career.
When discussing Fernando Alonso, the Polish driver acknowledged that he recognises something deeply familiar in his former Formula 1 rival.
“I think Fernando and I are similar,” Robert Kubica admitted, before offering a reflection that was both humorous and deeply sincere.
“In life, all I know how to do is drive. One day I will stop and I won’t know what to do. When you start as a child, you dedicate 95% of your life to this sport. Of course, it isn’t always wonderful. There are difficult moments when you even lose some of your happiness. But when a driver puts on their helmet, they become happy again. They disconnect from everything else.”
Those words help explain why Fernando Alonso continues to compete in Formula 1 and why Robert Kubica has never abandoned motorsport despite the obstacles placed in his path.
For both drivers, racing is more than a profession. It is an essential part of their identity, something that remains meaningful regardless of championship positions, machinery or the passing years.
From a near-fatal crash to Robert Kubica’s Ferrari Le Mans triumph
Robert Kubica would have had every reason to walk away from racing permanently. In February 2011, when he appeared destined to become one of Formula 1’s leading figures, a devastating accident during a rally in Italy nearly cost him his life.
The injuries he sustained required 17 surgical operations and an extraordinarily long rehabilitation process. The accident fundamentally altered the trajectory of a career that had already demonstrated enormous promise at the highest level of single-seater racing.
Fourteen years later, Robert Kubica achieved one of motorsport’s most prestigious victories by winning the 2025 24 Hours of Le Mans with Ferrari. Driving the number 83 Ferrari 499P alongside Yifei Ye and Phil Hanson, the Pole added endurance racing’s greatest prize to the Formula 1 victory he had secured at the 2008 Canadian Grand Prix. Ferrari’s historic Le Mans victory represented another remarkable chapter in his career.
Despite everything he has overcome, Robert Kubica rejected the suggestion that he should necessarily be considered a role model for younger generations.
“I hope young people are better than me, that they don’t have accidents in their lives and that they can enjoy a more straightforward career. It isn’t up to me to judge myself. But one thing is certain: I have never given up. Every time I fall, I try to get back up. And so far, it has worked.”
Between his life-changing accident and his Le Mans success came a return to Formula 1 in 2019, appearances in the DTM, further rallying commitments and eventually a move into endurance racing.
It has been a career rebuilt several times, but always around the same determination to compete. Even his difficult return to Formula 1 and the criticism that followed did not diminish his commitment to racing.
Robert Kubica: “I achieve goals, I don’t fulfil dreams”
When asked which dreams he still hopes to fulfil, Robert Kubica offered a response that reveals much about his mentality and his approach to motorsport.
“I achieve goals, I don’t fulfil dreams.”
For the Polish driver, success is not simply about imagining what might be possible. It involves identifying an objective, committing himself to it and continuing to work until that target becomes reality.
His transition to endurance racing provides a clear example of that philosophy. From the moment he entered the discipline, victory at Le Mans became one of his primary ambitions.
“When I arrived in endurance racing in 2021, my goal was to win Le Mans. I achieved it and I would like to do it again. I am very fortunate to be able to make a living from my passion, but above all I still feel competitive. If that weren’t the case, I wouldn’t be here.”
That determination also explains the bond Robert Kubica feels with Fernando Alonso. Although their careers have followed very different paths, both continue to find motivation in the act of racing itself rather than relying solely on past achievements.
For Robert Kubica, winning Le Mans was not the end of his journey, just as Fernando Alonso’s two world titles have never diminished his desire to compete. Their shared passion remains the driving force behind two remarkable motorsport careers.
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