Kubica: "A great reward for the team"

Robert, congratulations on your podium in Monaco. How was the race from the cockpit?

I always knew that it would be difficult to start from the dirty side of the track, and that was the case today. Mark Webber had quite a slow pull-away from the line, but I was a bit optimistic on the throttle and I got too much wheelspin. Then I had Massa very close to me on the inside and so I had to defend my position and be happy with the third place. The rest of the race was pretty straightforward without any real problems and we coped well with the safety car periods. It was a very long race – almost two hours – so you had to keep your concentration and avoid making any mistakes.

You seemed to be matching the pace of Sebastian Vettel today…

Yes, with the prime tyres I was matching his times. I think I was even quicker in certain parts of the race, especially after the safety car periods. Even though we know that Monaco is an unusual circuit, this performance is very encouraging for us.

What are you hopes for the next race in Turkey?

I am currently sixth in the drivers’ championship after six races, and equal on points with Lewis Hamilton, which is a great position to be in. Before the start of the year a lot of people were writing Renault off and didn’t believe in us, so our start to the season is the perfect response. Our podium today had nothing to do with luck because we have been quick all weekend and I think that makes this result even more special. It’s a great reward for the entire team who are working so hard at the moment. For the rest of the season, our objective is clear: to keep up this momentum and continue improving the car.