Formula One's newest race winner Robert Kubica has finally admitted he and his BMW Sauber team are world championship contenders following a maiden victory for both in Montreal.
Kubica, 23, climbed to the top of the podium for the first time in 29 attempts after making his debut with BMW Sauber towards the end of 2006 and his Canadian Grand Prix victory also sent him to the top of the world drivers' championship.
With BMW Sauber scoring a race one-two thanks to Nick Heidfeld's runner-up finish, the team also went second in the constructors' championship.
Having claimed second place in Monaco, Kubica had denied he was a title contender despite moving to fourth in the championship.
Now four points clear of Lewis Hamilton, whose weekend fell apart when he crashed into the back of defending champion Kimi Raikkonen, thus knocking out the pre-race championship leading and second-placed drivers, he could do little to deny the claim this time around.
"I think when you are leading the world championship after seven races as a driver, you have a car that can win races and can fight for top positions, it's a top team," Kubica said. "That's very clear, I think."
Heidfeld agreed, adding: "We've been leading the constructors' championship earlier this season, now Robert is leading the world drivers' championship, so we must be a top team by now.
"I think McLaren and Ferrari have made a couple of mistakes this year, they messed up their race here, but nevertheless it also takes a top team and good drivers not to make those mistakes, so I would say yes."
Kubica acknowledged some good fortune had gone his way with his main championship rivals being wiped out of the race in one fell swoop after 18 laps by Hamilton's car as the Pole sat next to Raikkonen waiting for the red light.
Hamilton saw the red light too late, veered away from Kubica's car directly in front of him and instead clattered into the back of Raikkonen's Ferrari.
"We did manage a very good race," Kubica said. "I was helped by Hamilton because in the end we were the top three cars: Lewis, me and Kimi, so the two strongest drivers were off the track at that stage.
"I have to be grateful to Lewis as he chose Kimi and not myself."
The next challenge for Kubica is to win a race in more straightforward circumstances.
"We are working on it," he said. "The target this season was to win a race. We did it earlier than expected, I think.
"We did it in a difficult race with not the best pace in the field, I would say. Clearly Hamilton was the quickest driver here this weekend, but he made a mistake.
"You pay for your mistakes and we did a good race, I think.
"But what it will be in the future we don't know and we have to work, we have to fight, to push. I don't think we'll be lacking motivation now after such a great result and everybody's already pushing very hard.
"So we just have to find a few tenths (of a second) and maybe we can fight with proper pace in a normal race for the victory as well."
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