Henri Dubois · Endurance Correspondent
After three years in the yellow Ferrari, it is over. Where the 41-year-old goes next is open, and AF Corse has not named a successor yet.
For six hours the No. 83 ran at Monza without ever having a real shot at victory. The real news of the day came afterwards, and it did not come from the garage but via Instagram. In a short video, Robert Kubica said the season finale had been his last race in the yellow colors of AF Corse. He left 2027 open, saying he would see what the future brings, and thanked the fans for their support. Together with Phil Hanson and Yifei Ye, he had brought the Ferrari 499P home in sixth place.
A trio that won Le Mans
Kubica moved up to the Hypercar class in 2024, a year after winning the LMP2 title with WRT. At the time he was still linked with Jota’s Porsche 963 before he surprisingly signed with Ferrari’s customer team. The crew of the No. 83 stayed together over the years, and in 2025 that paid off: Kubica, Hanson and Ye won the 24 Hours of Le Mans, giving Ferrari its third straight overall victory at the Sarthe.
That this win came with the yellow customer car rather than one of the two red factory entries says a lot about the work of AF Corse. A 24-hour race is not won in a single stint, but with a pit crew that makes no mistakes through an entire night, and with three drivers who take turns bringing the car safely through traffic.
A season that never got going
In 2026, things no longer came together for the No. 83. Ferrari lost ground overall across the eight rounds, even though the No. 50 factory car won in Austin and the No. 51 collected several podiums. The customer car got no further than two fifth places, in São Paulo and in Barcelona.
Then there is the contract situation. According to Motorsport.com, Hanson and Ye are under contract directly with Ferrari, while Kubica was the only member of the crew tied solely to AF Corse, without the backing of a manufacturer. When the team announced its extensions in September, his name was missing. Rumors of a departure have circulated ever since.
Where does the road lead?
A factory seat with Ferrari AF Corse is not in sight right now, as the two official 499Ps are among the most stable crews in the field. A more likely option would be a manufacturer building up or expanding its program. Ford and McLaren join the Hypercar class in 2027 as two new brands. At the same time, it is not even certain that AF Corse will keep its third grid slot once the newcomers need their places in the field.
Kubica turns 42 on December 7. Clarity is likely to come no earlier than the 2027 entry list and the first preseason tests. Until then it remains open whether the 2025 Le Mans winner stays in the Hypercar class, switches categories or turns up in a completely different project.
