In an astonishing turn of events at the Fuji World Endurance Championship race, former Formula 1 ace Robert Kubica played a pivotal role in steering Team WRT to a resounding LMP2 victory.
This triumph didn’t come easy, especially after the #41 WRT ORECA 07, piloted by Kubica, Louis Deletraz, and Rui Andrade, plunged from second to sixth position due to an early mishap involving Andrade.
The unfortunate incident saw Andrade getting hit by the #23 United Autosports car of Josh Pierson, a mistake that landed Pierson a 10-second time penalty. But the #41 crew’s indomitable spirit saw them clawing their way back, showcasing phenomenal driving skills and team strategy. By the end of the fourth hour, they had not only regained their lost positions but were comfortably leading their class with a 16-second advantage.
A notable contributor to the team’s comeback was Kubica, who took on half of the team’s 218-lap total. Jumping into the driver’s seat midway through the second hour, Kubica showcased his mettle by swiftly moving up the ranks, at one point coming within a 10-second gap of the front-runner, the #22 United car.
Reflecting on their remarkable journey to victory, Kubica remarked in a post-race interview, “The crucial hours were after Rui [drove], when I took over.” He highlighted how they skillfully reduced a 52-second gap to just eight, attributing success to excellent tire management and strategic gameplay. Kubica added, “Louis did a good job saving fuel… so there was no big panic. It was a lot of management.”
WRT’s victory at Fuji marks their second of the season, placing them comfortably at the top of the leaderboard with a 33-point cushion. Their closest competition, the Inter Europol team, had a less fortunate race, finishing in ninth place.
Kubica optimistically commented on their championship prospects, “This brings us in good shape… we have to execute another clean weekend in Bahrain and bring it home hopefully.”
United Autosports, although dominant in the first half, could not sustain their momentum. Their #23 car, driven by Pierson, Hanley, and Oliver Jarvis, suffered due to several incidents including a 10-second penalty and a spin caused by a collision with Vanwall Hypercar driver Joao Paulo de Oliveira.
Jarvis shared his disappointment, saying, “We had a couple of incidents… I think we could have won it… but to come away fourth is not what we expected or what we were hoping for.”