“Someone left their iPhone in my cockpit”: Robert Kubica once found himself in a bizarre situation in the middle of an FP3 session

Robert Kubica, the only Polish driver to have won a Formula 1 race, is regarded as one of the top drivers in the sport from the late 2000s. While driving for Renault in 2010, the #88 racer found himself in a bizarre situation in the middle of a Free Practice (FP3) session at the Bahrain International Circuit.

Honing his skills in the open-wheel single-seater racing category, Kubica debuted in F1 as a reserve driver for BMW Sauber in 2006. After 4 years with Sauber, he went to Renault. However, a near-fatal accident during the first stage of the Ronde di Andora rally in 2011 put Kubica out of racing for over two years.

It was during his first stint with Renault that Kubica faced a bizarre situation. During the FP3 session of the Bahrain Grand Prix weekend, he found an iPhone in his car's cockpit. The #88 racer checked with his race engineer on the team radio.

"Micheal, I have the iPhone in my cockpit. Someone left their iPhone in my cockpit. What should I do? Throw it away or come in?" Kubica said.

"I will just stop on the outside of the garage, pass the phone and continue, ok?"

This rather unusual interaction was shared on Formula 1's official X page. Here's a look at the post, captioned:

"I have the iPhone in my cockpit" Weird flex? No, it's a classic garage gaffe"

While Kubica did make a comeback in F1 with Williams in 2018 as a reserve driver and in 2019 as a full-time racer, he was unable to maximize the results. Kubica continued his F1 stint as a reserve driver with Alfa Romeo until the 2022 season.

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"I was lucky I was a sportsman and driving F1" - Robert Kubica claims his F1 training helped in his long recovery after life-altering accident in 2011

Considered one of the rising talents in Formula 1 in the late 2000s, Robert Kubica's chance to prove himself in the sport was snatched by a life-altering Rally accident in 2011. Despite the odds, Kubica eventually returned to racing, albeit after a long physical and mental recovery.

In an interview with the BBC in 2018, the Polish racer explained the intensity of his injuries. He also highlighted how his training for being an F1 driver helped him during his recovery.

"The reality was the first big moment I was fighting to be alive. People are concentrating only on my arm because it is the biggest limitation. But the reality is I had fractures from my feet up to my shoulders on the right-hand side. I had many fractures and that's why it was so complicated and takes so long to recover," Robert Kubica said.

"The first two months were tough. I was lucky I was a sportsman and driving F1. That's probably why my arm is still there."

Apart from F1 and Rally, Robert Kubica has also competed in the World Endurance Championship in both GT3 and LMP1 categories. He clinched the 2023 WEC championship title (LMP2) with the Prema Orlen team and won the Lone Star Le Mans race with the AF Corse (driving the #83 Ferrari 499P).