KUBICA Receives Coveted Bandini Trophy

(he speaks Italian, that is the first step at receiving a rapid welcome to the Scuderia (unlike Kimi whose welcome took a year), so maybe it won't be Heikki, but Kubica in Ferrari's future??)


Robert Kubica will be honoured with this year's Lorenzo Bandini Trophy as a result of his impressive outings with BMW Sauber since his Formula One debut in 2006.

The Pole has had a fine start to the season with two podiums in three races and his maiden pole position at last week's Bahrain Grand Prix.

The trophy, now in its fifteenth edition, is given out by the village of Brisighella, near Imola, in memory of local driver Lorenzo Bandini, who died in a fiery crash at the wheel of a Ferrari in the 1967 Monaco Grand Prix.

The trophy organizers have also pointed out Kubica's likability, modesty, his love for Italy, and his ability in speaking Italian as reasons for the award, which will be handed out in Brisighella on May 18, one week before the Monaco GP.

Previous winners include world champions Kimi Raikkonen, Fernando Alonso, Michael Schumacher and Jacques Villeneuve, while the last two editions honoured Felipe Massa and Mark Webber.

Also awarded will be former team principal Peter Sauber, who remained at BMW Sauber as a consultant.

 

You will see him replace Kimi who now wants to go MotoGP before you see him replace the beloved Massa. I would not be surprised to see Kimi on two wheels after 2009.

 

Two #1 driver's that speak Italian at Ferrari? Yes a Kubica/Massa team would be great.

 

Well, the only one that likes to leave the ground and do aerobatics is Kubica. I think he has had enough of that.

 

He is. They think of Massa as they did Gilles, a family member. I am just repeating what I was told. Personally, this makes sense. When he was hired back in 2005, Luca compared him to Villenueve. Fast, wreckless, hopefully manageable. They were wrong with Gilles, I would like to think they can control Massa. Gilles did a lot of damage, ultimately to himself, all for the wrong reasons. So far Massa has not killed anyone, has not totaled a car, and is very fast. Score is in Massa's favor. Even Michael destroyed a car or two.

So beloved, yes.

 

If you understood the nature of the Scuderia, you would not ask this question.