Kubica class of the field on Rallye du Var

Renault F1 driver Robert Kubica was the class of the field during today’s (Sunday) Rallye du Var, where he beat off opposition from Citroen World Rally Team driver Sebastian Ogier in a Citroen DS3 R3. Ogier, who finished three minutes off the flying Kubica, made his debut in the new car on the rally.

Kubica set the last three fastest stage times on the rally in his Renault Clio S1600. He only finished behind former WRC Peugeot works driver Cedric Robert (1^st), Bryan Bouffier, the newly-crowned French Rally Champion (2^nd) and Stephane Sarrazin, former SWRT factory driver, and current works Peugeot Le Mans driver. Kubica was only nine seconds behind Sarrazin’s Peugeot 207 S2000. The Polish driver also won the 2WD class on the rally.

Also competing in the rally was J-WRC winner Kevin Abbring, who switched from his J-WRC Suzuki Swift S1600 to the Clio R3, to take the Renault Clio R3 European Championship title back to Germany with him. As a result of winning the Championship, Abbring also collects a big prize fund from the French firm.

Kubica will continue with Renault F1 in 2011, and is hoping to go a few places better in the Championship, up from the 8^th place he scored at the end of the season.