Robert Kubica has opened up about the “hurt” of being dismissed as a “PR muppet” upon his F1 comeback with Williams in 2019.

It comes after the Polish driver claimed a sensational victory at the legendary Le Mans 24 Hours race earlier this month.

Robert Kubica ‘hurt’ by comments after 2019 F1 comeback with Williams

Kubica was regarded as a potential future World Champion before a devastating rally crash in 2011 left him with serious injuries and altered the direction of his career.

After turning to rallying, where he won the WRC2 title (the rallying equivalent of the F2 feeder series) in 2013, Kubica turned his attention to an F1 comeback.

Having tested for the Renault (now Alpine) team in 2017, Kubica narrowly missed out on securing a return with Williams for the 2018 season.

Robert Kubica: Motorsport’s ironman

👉 Motorsport Triple Crown explained: Its prestigious races, history and only winner

👉 Celebrating Robert Kubica: From Formula 1 star to endurance racing legend

However, his goal of an F1 comeback was realised 12 months later when he partnered George Russell in a new-look Williams lineup.

Despite scoring the team’s only point of the 2019 season in a rain-affected German Grand Prix at Hockenheim, Kubica endured a largely miserable campaign as he was outqualified by Russell at all 21 rounds.

Kubica would make two further F1 appearances, deputising for Kimi Raikkonen with Alfa Romeo (now Sauber), the team with which he began his F1 career in 2006, at the Dutch and Italian grands prix of 2021.

Speaking after his triumph at Le Mans, where he shared a Ferrari 499P hypercar with Phil Hanson and Yifei Ye, Kubica admitted to being left “hurt” by the perception that his Formula 1 comeback was driven by marketing considerations.

According to the BBC, he said: “I don’t think my limitations are limiting behind the wheel.

“I think if someone had doubts in the past I showed those doubts should not be in place.

“I’m driving and I’m happy. I remember when I was rejoining F1, there was a lot of rumours and I understand: You see [the condition of] my [right] hand.

“It’s normal to ask questions if I’m capable, if it’s safe.

“And there was some very extreme quotes of some people which hurt me, because I’m the first one who would never like to be back just for marketing or being a PR muppet.

“I have serious limitations in my right arm, but I don’t remember how I was driving before.

“This is how I am now – it’s probably one of the biggest successes of my life: at one period of my recovery, driving was my best medicine.

“I can see someone watching my hand, which is normal, but, in the end, when driving, I’m fully in myself.

“Honestly, I have bigger limitations in daily life than [in] the race cars.”

Kubica, whose only F1 victory came with BMW at the 2008 Canadian Grand Prix, revealed that he briefly considered retirement when his time in F1 came to an end in 2022, conceding that deciding to stop is “a scary one.”

He added: “People [were] pointing the finger, saying maybe it wasn’t safe and having doubts.

“They are not doing it anymore.

“I asked myself three years ago, I was thinking I should stop.

“But I’m the most lucky person around the world. I have a holiday all year because I’m doing something I like; for me, racing is everything.

“Everything I do in daily life is to prepare for the race track. I don’t know what [else] I would do – [stopping] is a big decision and a scary one.

“The passion is still there; the fire is still there.

“My main engine pushing me is my passion.”

Read next: ‘Nice seat’ – Valtteri Bottas comeback rumours in overdrive after Cadillac F1 post