Alfa Romeo hopes Kubica’s check for 2021 is big enough (Update)

(GMM) Robert Kubica and his sponsor have confirmed that they are staying put at Alfa Romeo in 2021.

Team boss Frederic Vasseur broke the news last week, revealing that reserve driver Kubica and title sponsor Orlen “were satisfied with all of our activities in the most difficult year, which is great news”.

Polish oil retailer PKN Orlen’s president Daniel Obajtek confirmed: “It pays off for us.

“The advertising equivalent alone amounts to 400 million PLN (about $US 100m),” he said. “This also affects our retail sales.

“Robert is very well received by Poles and abroad, with as many as 70 percent of respondents associating him with our brand,” Obajtek added.

It is not yet known if Kubica will combine the ongoing reserve role with a race seat elsewhere.

“Every opportunity to drive an F1 car is something special,” the 35-year-old said as he confirmed his ongoing role.

“I am glad that we will be able to continue this cooperation, but it is also very possible that I will be racing in other arenas – something different. Practice makes perfect,” Kubica smiled.

Alfa Romeo want to retain Robert Kubica as their reserve driver for 2021 – and will sweeten the deal with more time in the car if he can bring as big, or even bigger check, for 2021 as most reserve driver roles are bought and paid for by the driver to keep their foot in F1 in case a paid opportunity affords itself.

So Alfa Romeo want to keep the Polish racer around for another season and increase his time in the car and the simulator further.

“I hope so, but for sure the season was difficult,” Alfa Romeo principal Frederic Vasseur told Autosport when asked if the team planned to keep Kubica for 2021.

“It was mainly for Robert because he had to do in parallel the DTM project and Formula 1.

“It was a crazy season, at least a crazy six months. But we would like to have him a little bit more into the car, a little bit more into the simulator to develop our tools.

“He’s fully committed with us, he’s doing a very good job and he showed us [in Bahrain] that the pace is still there.

“I’m very happy to keep Robert in the team for next year.”