MONTREAL — Robert Kubica has consistently maintained that it would take some abnormal circumstances for him and BMW Sauber to score their first Grand Prix victory this season.
And that’s just what happened in the Canadian Grand Prix as Lewis Hamilton knocked Kimi Raikkonen out of the race, and that left Kubica perfectly poised to snatch a fortuitous but well-deserved victory.
Following last year’s race in Montreal, Kubica was in a local hospital after his huge accident. After this year’s race, he was celebrating on the podium alongside teammate Nick Heidfeld, who finished second.
“It’s fantastic for me, the team, my country and my fans,” Kubica  said after becoming the first Polish driver to win a Grand Prix. “Winning in Canada where I had big shunt last season and the goal to win a Grand Prix this season...we have done it and I’m leading the championship.”
Kubica is indeed leading the championship with 42 points, followed by Hamilton and Felipe Massa with 38 each and Raikkonen with 35.
Starting from the pole, Hamilton led the first 18 laps in his McLaren Mercedes ahead of Kubica’s BMW, Raikkonen’s Ferrari, Nico Rosberg’s Williams Toyota, Fernando Alonso’s Renault and Massa’s Ferrari.
The safety car came out to allow workers to remove Adrian Sutil’s crashed Force India, and when pit lane was declared open, a number of drivers dived in. After their stops, Raikkonen and Kubica were parked side by side at pit exit because the red light was on.
Hamilton, heading for the track, didn’t see the red lights and hit Raikkonen’s Ferrari. Rosberg then hit Hamilton.
A frustrated Raikkonen climbed from his car and pointed the lights out to a sheepish Hamilton.
“I saw the two guys in front battling in the pit lane and all of a sudden they stopped,” Hamilton said. “I saw the red light, but by the time I stopped it was too late. It is a lot different if you crash into the wall and are angry, it is not like that. I apologize to Kimi if I cost him the race, but these sorts of things happen.”
Officials punished Hamilton and Rosberg with 10-place grid penalties at the next race.
After a string of crashes and no points in the first six races, David Coulthard bounced back to finish third in his Red Bull Renault. It was the 62nd podium of his career, and it came at the same track where he scored his first ever F-1 points in 1994.
The safety car came out only once, due in part to the track not breaking up as badly as it had in qualifying. But there was plenty going on, including seven different leaders, spins and some great battles throughout the race.
Timo Glock finished a career-best fourth in his Toyota ahead of a charging Massa. Jarno Trulli’s Toyota, Rubens Barrichello’s Honda and Sebastian Vettel’s Toro Rosso rounded out the top eight.