Breaking news
Formula 1
Alfa clears up myth behind Kubica's uncorked champagne
Alfa Romeo has revealed the true story behind an urban legend that has built up surrounding Robert Kubica's champagne bottle from his victory at the 2008 Canadian Grand Prix.
Jonathan Noble
Edited: Jun 5, 2019, 7:38 PM
Copy link
Share on Viber
The Hinwil-based outfit, then under the guise of BMW-Sauber, took its only F1 triumph in Montreal in 2008 when Kubica headed home teammate Nick Heidfeld.
As a way of remembering its success, the team's factory has a display case that features all the champagne bottles from the 27 podiums it has scored in F1.
But Kubica's 2008 bottle is unique because it is the only one in its collection with the cork still in it.
The team says that a legend has built up – and one that new staff members are told on their first day at work – that the bottle is unopened because in his excitement of winning, Kubica forgot to uncork his champagne.
But, as Alfa Romeo explained in a team preview ahead of this weekend's Canadian GP, the real story behind the bottle is more complicated than that.
"It's a great Sauber story, one that shows the human side of Formula 1. It's a story new starters are told on their first days in the factory," said the team. "It's also not true."
The reality is that the winning champagne bottle became the centre of a row between BMW and Sauber over who should take ownership of it, with Kubica having actually sprayed it as normal before dropping it to team members.
"Sauber and BMW both wanted to keep the memento, the vessel of the sweetest champagne we had ever tasted," the team continued.
"We pleaded and begged but alas, on the occasion, it was the German giant that won 'The Battle of the Bottle': the original is proudly displayed in their Munich museum to this day."
More F1 insights :
- Canadian GP: All the winners since 1967
- Canada could provide key answer over "confusing" F1 tyres
- Ferrari expects no "significant" improvements soon
With BMW taking ownership of the bottle, Sauber asked F1 to produce a replica bottle that Sauber could display at its factory – which is the one that is shown to this day.
"On the day, we chose to relinquish this precious memory to our partners," the team added. "That's what we did, with magnanimity and style. To go on building more great memories in the future.
"The trophy, that one we kept. From then on, we called it: "The one we didn't even give them a sniff of."
Kubica's victory in Montreal was the only win that the BMW-Sauber partnership would take, before the German car manufacturer and Swiss team split at the end of 2009.
Race winner Robert Kubica, BMW Sauber F1
Photo by: Sutton Images
We want your opinion!
What would you like to see on Motorsport.com?
Take our 5 minute survey.
- The Motorsport.com Team
Read and post comments
Read also :
Share Or Save This Story
Copy link
Share on Viber
Previous article Promoted: The French GP is one of Europe’s fastest F1 races
Next article Promoted: Charles Leclerc opens Shell House Canada
Top Comments
There are no comments at the moment. Would you like to write one?
View More & Comment
More from
Jonathan Noble
Brundle awarded OBE in King’s New Year’s honours
Formula 1
Formula 1
Brundle awarded OBE in King’s New Year’s honours
The new rules dilemma that will define the 2025 F1 season
Formula 1
Formula 1
The new rules dilemma that will define the 2025 F1 season
Verstappen issues Red Bull title warning in push for RB21 progress
Formula 1
Formula 1
Australian GP
Verstappen issues Red Bull title warning in push for RB21 progress
More from
Robert Kubica
Robert Kubica announces exit from AF Corse’s privateer Hypercar in WEC
WEC
WEC
Monza
Robert Kubica announces exit from AF Corse’s privateer Hypercar in WEC
Missing out on Ferrari F1 drive felt like "bleeding" to Robert Kubica
Formula 1
Formula 1
Barcelona-Catalunya GP
Missing out on Ferrari F1 drive felt like "bleeding" to Robert Kubica
You Ask The Questions: Robert Kubica
Formula 1
You Ask The Questions: Robert Kubica
Latest news
"It's horribly painful" - Williams drops 2026 car upgrades to benefit 2027
Formula 1
F1 Formula 1
Sao Paulo GP
59 min
"It's horribly painful" - Williams drops 2026 car upgrades to benefit 2027
Iker Lecuona felt significant differences between Ducati's GP25 and GP26
MotoGP
MGP MotoGP
Qatar GP
2 h
Iker Lecuona felt significant differences between Ducati's GP25 and GP26
The Kimi Antonelli you don't know: Inside the Mercedes garage with F1's new world champion
Formula 1
F1 Formula 1
Mexican GP
3 h
The Kimi Antonelli you don't know: Inside the Mercedes garage with F1's new world champion
Feature
Discover prime content
Top 10 F1 cars of the 1970s
Formula 1
By Kevin Turner
Top 10 F1 cars of the 1970s
Subscribe and access Motorsport.com with your ad-blocker.
From Formula 1 to MotoGP we report straight from the paddock because we love our sport, just like you. In order to keep delivering our expert journalism, our website uses advertising. Still, we want to give you the opportunity to enjoy an ad-free and tracker-free website and to continue using your adblocker.
You have 2 options:
- Become a subscriber.
- Disable your adblocker.
Subscribe now Already subscribed? Sign in here
Already disabled your adblocker?
Reload page
Manage Alerts
Subscribe