Max Verstappen hails former F1 rival: 'Destined for greater things'

Max Verstappen has hailed the talents of former F1 driver Robert Kubica, insisting he was “destined for greater things” in the series.

In the late 2000s, Kubica was seen as one of the most exciting talents on the grid.

However, his F1 career took a major detour when he was involved in a life-threatening rally crash in the build-up to the 2011 campaign.

Kubica was forced to abandon his pursuit of F1 glory, having reportedly signed a deal to join Ferrari from 2012.

Verstappen, who made his F1 debut several years after Kubica's first stint in the sport, hailed the abilities of the Polish driver.

“Robert, he is still a fantastic driver,” Verstappen told media including RacingNews365. “He had a lot of talent.

“If you ask anyone in this paddock or previous people who have raced with him, he was destined, for even greater things to achieve in F1. 

“But unfortunately, of course, the accident happened.”

Verstappen: 'Fantastic' to see Kubica win Le Mans

Kubica eventually made a return to F1 in 2019, lining up alongside George Russell at Williams.

However, he departed after a disappointing campaign and made the switch to endurance racing, with a peak result coming last year when he won the 24 Hours of Le Mans with Ferrari.

Verstappen, who is an avid follower of endurance competition, admitted his pleasure in seeing Kubica achieve the high.

“I still follow WEC a lot, and to see him race, and how he does, it's fantastic,” he said.

“For him to win Le Mans is, for everyone, a dream. 

“And to see him achieve it was really nice to see.”