Rally fan Robert Kubica emerges as F1 contender

By Alan Baldwin

LONDON (Reuters) - Robert Kubica's idea of a fun weekend, when not racing in Formula One, is to stand on a windswept hillside and watch rally cars sliding through mud and gravel.

Poland's first Formula One driver, currently third in the championship in only his second full season with BMW Sauber, could never be accused of being seduced by the glamour of his profession.

The 23-year-old from Krakow, who last year hit the headlines when he emerged miraculously unscathed from a car-destroying crash in Canada, has the heart of a rally driver beating under his Formula One race suit.

"I think there's a good possibility (of moving into rallying one day) but there are two ways to do rallying," he told Reuters in an interview at last weekend's Spanish Grand Prix.

"If I want to do rally properly as a serious driver, I cannot wait a long time. But first of all I would like to have fun in Formula One and achieve something in Formula One.

"The second option is when I stop Formula One, just to do rallying for fun. And I think the second option is more possible," added Kubica, who made his F1 debut in 2006 as a replacement for 1997 champion Jacques Villeneuve.

Despite rallying dominating the domestic scene in Poland when he was growing up, Kubica wanted to be different -- a trait that emerged again this year when he singled out British snooker player Ronnie O'Sullivan as his sporting hero.

He focused on karting and single-seaters instead.

POLE POSITION

"There was one moment when I was quite down after one season and I had two offers to go to rallying," he recalled.

"But I said I would try another year and see, because my parents and everybody had made a lot of sacrifices to achieve something in motor racing and in single seaters. I knew the rally possibilities would still be there in a few years' time."

His enthusiasm for rallying continues, despite his Formula One career taking off with podium places and a first pole position this season.

"I like to watch rallies. Every time I go, I park the car where the fans park -- I don't have any special tickets or permission to go -- and I walk six kilometers," he said.

"The night before, I go through some stages to see where are the good points and how to get to them. I like the system of rallying and once you find a good place, you go there and feel closer to the rally.

"Sometimes in Formula One the fans are too far away from what is going on the track.