Polish driver had a life-threatening accident in 2011
Ferrari complete third successive win in endurance race
Poland’s Robert Kubica sealed a deserved place in motor racing history as he took victory – alongside China’s Ye Yifei and Britain’s Philip Hanson – at the Le Mans 24 Hours. Hard fought with a relentless determination that has matched his refusal to be cowed after a life-threatening accident, his victory also secured an impressive third consecutive win for Ferrari at the 93rd edition of the vingt-quatre.
The victory after 387 laps for the No 83 privateer Ferrari 499P, run by the Scuderia’s works partner AF Corse, was the first overall win at Le Mans for drivers from Poland and China and will make Ye a household name in his home country, while for the 25-year-old Hanson it is a career high in only his second run in the top, hypercar, category.
However, it was surely of greatest import to Kubica for whom it was an understandably emotional moment. The victory was a triumph for a driver who has fought tirelessly to continue his career after he was seriously injured in a crash at the Andora Rally in 2011, leading to the partial amputation of his forearm. It all but ended his burgeoning F1 career, when he was set to join Ferrari the following year.
