Rumbling in the Rain

Again on the topic of Formula One ...

Many people say that only the great drivers excel in the rain. Racing fans can never forget Jackie Stewart's dominating win in the 1968 German Grand Prix, held in torrential rain at the notoriously dangerous Nurburgring circuit, in which he beat his closest rival by over four MINUTES. Stewart's credentials? A three-time Formula One World Champion in 1969, 1971 and 1973, and the record holder for the most Formula One victories (27) when he retired in 1973.

In the 1984 Monaco Grand Prix, one of the most talked-about races ever, young guns Ayrton Senna and Stefan Bellof were both catching leader Alain Prost at an amazing pace in torrential rain, despite at the wheels of markedly under-funded and inferior cars. Had the race not been controversially stopped after only 31 of the scheduled 77 laps, both Senna and Bellof would have certainly overtaken Prost for the lead. Despite the setback, Senna would go on to win 41 races and three World Championship titles in 1988, 1990 and 1991. As for Bellof, although he would go on to win the World Sportscar Championship title in 1984 (at a time when Formula One drivers also competed in other racing series at the same time), he would sadly crash to his death at Spa-Francorchamps in 1985, at the age of 28. Nevertheless, Bellof's legacy continues today. In addition to his fearlessness, Bellof is also best remembered as the childhood racing idol for Michael Schumacher, of all people.

During the rainy and chaotic Hungarian Grand Prix, another newcomer outperformed many veterans on the field, making him a star for the future.

Robert Kubica is the first ever Formula One driver from Poland. He previously was the test driver for the BMW team, limited to testing duties during practice on Fridays and Saturdays. However, his quickness has been proved by the stunning lap times set during practices on a regular basis, which landed him the opportunity to race in the Hungarian Grand Prix, subbing for the injured Jacques Villeneuve.

And he didn't disappoint.

Despite taking part in a race proper for the very first time, he managed to out-qualify his more experienced teammate Nick Heidfeld in dry condition. And when the heavens opened on race day, he kept on his good form by climbing up to eighth on the opening lap.

A spin in the chicane on lap two (a rookie mistake no less) dropped him down to 16th, and another spin damaged his front wing which dropped him further back. But he remained competitive throughout and eventually finished seventh, scoring two points on his debut. Unfortunately, he would later be disqualified for having an underweight car by a mere two kilograms, a result of the excessive wear in his tyres due to the changing weather conditions.

The BMW team surely knows a gem has been discovered and promptly parted company with Villeneuve, the 1997 World Champion, after the race. The move means that Kubica will race for the team for the rest of the season, and it looks highly likely that he will continue to partner Heidfeld next season.

Whether Kubica will follow the footsteps of Stewart, Senna or Bellof, Goodness only knows.