Kubica won in Montreal a year after 75g crash

Robert Kubica turned the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve from the scene of his huge 2007 crash into the venue of his first and only Formula 1 victory one year later, giving BMW Sauber its maiden win at the 2008 Canadian Grand Prix.

That result carried extra weight because Kubica had suffered a 75g impact at the same track on 10 June 2007. Starting eighth, he was running in the midfield before the field closed up after a safety car on lap 22. Five laps later, battling Jarno Trulli into the hairpin, he clipped the rear of the Toyota under braking and was launched off the circuit into the gravel before smashing into a concrete barrier.

The BMW Sauber disintegrated in the impact. Wheels, nose, sidepods and bodywork were scattered across the track as the car rolled, hit the opposite wall and came to rest on its side, with Kubica’s feet visible through the torn-open nose.

Despite the violence of the crash, Kubica escaped with only a mild concussion and a sprained ankle. He missed Indianapolis as a precaution, then returned at the next round at Magny-Cours and finished fourth.

By that stage Kubica was already established as one of BMW Sauber’s standout drivers. He had debuted midway through 2006 and reached the podium in only his third Formula 1 start at Monza, then became a regular points scorer during his first full season in 2007.

When Formula 1 returned to Montreal in 2008, Kubica arrived as a genuine contender near the front and started second behind Lewis Hamilton. The race swung when Hamilton missed a red light in the pit lane and took out both himself and Kimi Räikkönen. Kubica capitalised, passed team-mate Nick Heidfeld and controlled the race from there.

The victory was not only Kubica’s first in Formula 1 but also the first for BMW Sauber. It also sent him to the top of the drivers’ championship on 42 points, four clear of Hamilton and Felipe Massa.