Robert Kubica has joined Alfa Romeo Racing for 2020 as a reserve driver, the team with which he began his Formula 1 career in 2006 after leaving Williams Racing at the end of last season.
This season also marks the beginning of a multi-year deal with PKN ORLEN, the Polish petroleum company, with the partnership also providing Kubica the opportunity to return to the team.
Speaking about his return to Alfa Romeo Racing, Kubica said: “I am really happy to be starting this new chapter in my career as I join Alfa Romeo Racing ORLEN. This team holds a special place in my heart and I am pleased to see some faces still here from my years in Hinwil.”
Although it a considerable amount of time since he was last at the team, he is confident they will be able to make steps in the right direction in order to achieve results.
“Time and circumstances are obviously different, but I am convinced that I will find the same determination and hunger to succeed. I am looking forward to helping Alfa Romeo Racing ORLEN make the next step forward.”
CEO and president of ORLEN’s management board, Daniel Obajtek, said: “In sport as in business, consistency is crucial. When last year we supported the return of Robert Kubica to Formula 1, we knew that we were creating the history of sport, but we were also opening a new chapter in the history of ORLEN brand.
“Today we are taking another important step on this path by associating ourselves with a team that has enormous tradition and history. Robert Kubica, one of the fastest drivers in the world, remains our ambassador,” he added.
Team principal Frédéric Vasseur is optimistic about the results the partnership could bring.
He said: “The exciting new partnership with PKN ORLEN is a statement of intent for both parties. It is proof of the ambition of our common project and of our desire to compete at the very top of Formula 1. PKN ORLEN support for excellence finds a perfect partner in our team.
“We are also delighted to welcome Robert back home and we cannot wait to start working with him. He is a driver that needs no introduction: one of the most brilliant in his generation and one who displayed the true meaning of human determination in his fight to return to racing after his rallying accident. His feedback will be invaluable as we continue to push our team towards the front of the grid.“
