Why poker-faced Kubica is holding all the aces in battle with Hamilton

It is just that most people thought his name would be Lewis Hamilton, not a poker-playing Pole called Robert Kubica.

Flush with success: Kubica and Hamilton

While Hamilton heads into tomorrow's French Grand Prix complaining that the FIA have handed him a grid penalty for crashing during the Canadian race a fortnight ago to 'spice up' the title fight, Kubica's mind wandered to the next game of Texas hold 'em.

This weekend, as at the other 17 races on the calendar, he hopes to meet up with fellow drivers Giancarlo Fisichella, Rubens Barrichello and Fernando Alonso for an impromptu card school.

'It's just fun, no money,' said Kubica, whose maiden victory in Montreal gave him a four-point lead over Hamilton and Ferrari's Felipe Massa.

'It's good to spend time relaxing with other drivers you are normally fighting against. I'm very competitive but Fisi is very consistent.'

And will Hamilton be in attendance? 'No, he doesn't play.'

The pair's first real skirmish will, instead, come in qualifying today in what is being touted - yet again - as the valedictory grand prix at rural Magny-Cours.

However, the Kubica-Hamilton stories have been entwined for the past decade, since they set the standard in karts.

It is a tale of two boys going from nothing to the top echelon of the sport through a combination of hard work and rare talent. If being the first mixed race boy from a Stevenage council estate to crack F1 is an extraordinary transformation made possible by Hamilton's father Anthony taking on three jobs, Kubica's journey from Poland to a £4million-a-year contract is just as astounding.

It was in his hometown of Krakow, then in the death throes of Communism, that he saw the little off-road car which lit his love affair with motor-racing.

He persuaded his printer dad, Artur, to buy it. 'It was a joint Christmas and birthday present,' said Kubica, the first Pole in F1 history.

'It had a four-stroke engine, no horsepower, but could still do about 30mph.'

He moved to karts - the nearest track was 100 miles away - before his promise secured him the financial backing to compete in the Italian Karting Championship, which he won.

Success-laden competition around Europe propelled him into single-seaters and to the test job at his current team BMW.

Called in to replace Jacques Villeneuve in 2006, he provided glimpses of his ability - a combative, physical driving style you might expect of a devoted rally fan - and a podium in his third race.

The following season was tougher as he struggled with the car. This year he has been faultless, capped by victory in Canada.

His poise was a counterpoint to Hamilton stumbling into the back of Raikkonen under a red light on the pit-lane exit. It left the Finnish world champion seven points off the lead, while Hamilton will be thrown back 10 places on the grid for the mix-up.

It means if he qualifies first today, he will start 11th tomorrow. Kubica, though, does not believe his BMW can match the McLarens and Ferraris over the course of the season.

'Realistically, looking at the situation of me and my team, I don't put me as a title contender,' he said. 'We have only got where we are by not making mistakes.' 

Victory here will be tough. The Ferraris were brisk in practice yesterday, with Massa fastest overall. Alonso's Renault was next, courtesy of low fuel, followed by Raikkonen and Hamilton. Kubica was eighth.

It will take a turnaround on a scale only slightly greater than Hamilton's volte face yesterday for Kubica to notch his second win.

Just 24 hours after voicing his support for the fanciful notion of a drivers' strike over the cost of their Super Licences, the British racer issued a 'clarification'.

'I am not involved in any strike talks,' he said. 'I am here to race, to do my job for the team, myself and the fans of F1.'.