Formula 1 has admitted that a technical error in the Driver of the Day voting process erroneously saw Robert Kubica emerge as the winner in the Austrian Grand Prix.
Voted on by fans globally, Driver of the Day is recognition of an especially impressive performance in the eyes of those outside the sport’s inner sanctum.
With a thrilling late race battle between Max Verstappen and Charles Leclerc, and impressive performances from McLaren drivers Lando Norris and Carlos Sainz, it was somewhat puzzling when Kubica was named on the world feed.
However, it’s since emerged that an error in the system led to the Williams driver picking up the gong, a fact the sport has now corrected.
“On Sunday, a technical error resulted in Williams’ Robert Kubica being declared the winner after he was incorrectly allocated a number of votes,” read a post on the sport’s official website.
“However, following verification, we can reveal that Verstappen scooped 74% of the public vote, with long-time leader Charles Leclerc receiving 11% and Carlos Sainz 7% for his brilliant run from P19 on the grid to P8.”
By contrast, Kubica recorded the worst finish in his Formula 1 career, coming home in 20th and last place, three laps adrift of race winner Verstappen.