Kubica - Turkey a one-off

Kubica: appetite

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Robert Kubica has downplayed BMW Sauber's drop off in performance at the Turkish Grand Prix, the Pole insisting it was a one-off.

Kubica and team-mate Nick Heidfeld finished a distant fourth and fifth at Istanbul Park, the duo failing to find the pace needed to challenge for a podium finish.

The race was the first this season that saw BMW Sauber out of contention for a podium, with Kubica finishing over 15 seconds behind the third-placed Ferrari of Kimi Raikkonen.

The Swiss-German team started the season with a bang, scoring podium finishes at each of the opening three races.

Kubica also claimed both his and BMW Sauber's first pole position in Bahrain - a race that resulted in the team leading the Constructors' Championship prior to Ferrari's one-two finish in Spain.

However, Kubica is confident BMW Sauber will be back on form at next weekend's Monaco Grand Prix.

"Turkey was a kind of grand prix similar to last year, where we were quite far away from the first two teams but well clear from everybody else," he told Autosport.

"I hope it was only a single grand prix issue, and I hope in Monaco and Canada we can stay closer and fight with McLaren and Ferrari."

Claims

Kubica has also rubbished claims made by McLaren Mercedes boss Ron Dennis that the German outfit would fall off the pace after the opening three races.

He added: "I think we, as everybody knows, struggled in the beginning of winter testing and a lot of effort was put in on solving problems and putting everything we had to make this car work.

"We managed to do that, but most probably we put already everything we had in. Still, I think Turkey was just one grand prix, because I was quite surprised by our pace in Barcelona.

"We could keep the McLaren pace in the race and qualifying, so although some people in the team were disappointed with fourth place I was actually pleased. I suppose when you are eating well, the appetite goes higher."