Kubica's delight with third

Robert Kubica says that making the change to intermediate tyres at the right point was key to his third place result in yesterday's Italian Grand Prix.

Robert Kubica said that making the change to intermediate tyres at the right point was key to his third place result in yesterday's Italian Grand Prix. The Pole kept alive his hopes of winning the championship as he reduced the gap between himself and the title leader Lewis Hamilton to 14 points. The BMW-Sauber driver ran 10th in the early stages, but benefited from being on a one-stop strategy and being able to change from the extreme wet tyres on to the intermediate compound when he made that lone stop.

He said: "It was quite a good weekend after yesterday in qualifying, which didn't go like we were expecting. "We were then lucky with our pit stop, because it was just the right time to change to intermediate tyres. "From then on I was easily able to control my position on the track. Third place was a well deserved reward for the whole team." Kubica had hoped to challenge second placed Heikki Kovalainen in the latter stages and gain even more points, but he was unable to close the gap on the McLaren driver.

He said: "I could have a good pace and maybe close on Heikki, but he was too far away." * Agencies