Robert Kubica was bang on the money in Australia. He beat off the hounding Ferraris of Felipe Massa and Fernando Alonso with a balls-of-steel drive that roared, “You better not have forgotten who I am!”

On aggregate he probably wouldn’t have caught up with Jenson, as the McLaren finished over ten seconds ahead of the Renault. But a resounding second place at a chaotic Albert Park kept him on the radar, and hinted that the likeable Pole could yet be in with a shot at the title.

In a rather unlikely claim-to-fame, Kubica has a Grade-A Jacques Villeneuve sulk to thank for his F1 debut.  He was drafted in from his position as BMW-Sauber test pilot mid-way through 2006, when the stroppy ex-champ decided, for the second time in his Formula One career, that he’d had enough of racing. Villeneuve had crashed his car quite badly at the German Grand Prix, and was rumoured to be suffering from headaches as a result of the shunt. If you ask me, he just realised what an old tugger he’d become and walked from the sport before he was pushed. Whatever his excuse, it paved the way for one of modern Formula One’s keenest talents to show what he was worth.

The first (and only, to date) Polish F1 driver has done alright for himself over the three-and-a-bit seasons he’s been here.  A podium in his debut season, a healthy accumulation of points the season after, building up to a serious title challenge and a long-overdue victory in the following year – it could have gone a hell of a lot worse for Krakow’s funny-looking hero.

He certainly had the measure of his more-experienced team mate Nick Heidfeld in 2008, his best season to date which included his first pole position in Bahrain and his victory in Canada. I suppose it’s not very funny if you think about it, but the irony of a Pole on pole caused a couple of sniggers throughout the Bahrain weekend.

Kubica is one to watch this season, if his Australian and Malaysian form continues. He could really throw a spanner in the works for the likes of Alonso, Button – and Vettel too, once he slays his reliability demons. He’s often been hailed as a future champion by F1 experts worldwide, and that’s because he’s got a very stubborn head on those young shoulders. He’s calm and collected, unlike his BMW-Sauber predecessor Villeneuve, who spits out the dummy at the first sign of anything going awry. He’s bullish and focused, softly-spoken but always plotting something, and it’s going to get him exactly where he wants to be one day. It’s the quiet ones you have to look out for, so they say.

He’ll need to really put his foot down to eke the best out of the Renault, but if there’s anyone who can deliver a Polish-ed performance in an average car, it’s most certainly Robert Kubica.

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