Alfa Romeo test driver Kubica clinches his first DTM podium

Former Formula One race winner and Alfa Romeo Racing Orlen's development driver Robert Kubica clinched his maiden podium in the DTM series today at Zolder.

DTM stayed at Belgium’s Circuit Zolder for a second consecutive race weekend following the thrilling action on last Saturday and Sunday. Reigning two-time series champion Rene Rast continued his incredible run of success this weekend by winning both races of Round 8 just as he did it last weekend.

While the second Zolder weekend was an important one for Rast who took over the lead in the Drivers’s Championship following his complicated start to the season, it has also turned into a memorable event for Robert Kubica.

The one-time F1 race winner who currently serves as the reserve for the Alfa Romeo Racing Orlen team clinched his first podium finish in the ultra competitive DTM series.

After leaving the Williams F1 team at the end of 2019, he moved across to the Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters for the 2020 season. He has endured a tough start to his season in the new environment with the privateer ART BMW team and he needed to wait until Round 7, the first Assen race to score his first point with a tenth-place finish.

Although he showed glimpses of improvements, he has failed to score further points, but he used the chaos in today’s race at Zolder while also showing great pace to clinch his first podium in DTM.

“I am very happy, no doubt about it. We didn’t expect this at all, but you have to take the opportunities as they come. That was the case today. Our strategy was perfect. Just in the pit stop, not everything worked perfectly, but nobody noted it: the lollypop didn’t go up, so at a certain point.

„I just drove off. Otherwise, I would still be standing there. Then, I had Nico Müller in front of me and was slightly faster at that stage, but at the end, it was more important to manage the tyres and bring third place home. This is a big moment for us, for the entire team. I am a DTM rookie, the team is new as well and the season was difficult so far. I am really overjoyed,” said Kubica.