Robert Kubica has been named the FIA’s Personality of the Year at this evening’s FIA Prize-Giving Gala in Paris, France. He is the first winner of the new award which was selected by all permanently accredited media present at FIA World Championship events throughout 2013.

Overcoming a career-threatening injury he suffered in 2011, Kubica finished top of the FIA World Rally Championship-2 (WRC-2) at the first attempt this season. He won five events this year, securing the title with one round remaining.

Upon winning the Championship, the Pole said, “This wasn’t the target at the start of the season but somehow I knew that if I was able to learn quickly on gravel I could do a good result,” he said.

“I was pretty sure that on tarmac I was quite competitive but the rallies in the World Rally Championship are completely different to each other. In the end we managed five wins and one second place from the six rallies that count for the championship - so all good.”

Kubica topped the poll ahead of a shortlist of 10 candidates including the newly crowned WRC Champion Sebastien Ogier and four-time Formula One Champion Sebastian Vettel.

Out of over 80 names put forward for consideration by the journalists, the following ten names were in the running for the award:

• Jost CAPITO (Head of Volkswagen Motorsport)

• Eduardo FREITAS (FIA World Endurance Championship, Race Director)

• Monisha KALTENBORN (Sauber Formula One Team, Chief Executive Officer)

• Tom KRISTENSEN (2013 FIA World Endurance Championship Winner)

• Robert KUBICA (2013 FIA World Rally Championship 2 Winner)

• Sébastien LOEB (9-time FIA World Rally Championship Winner)

• Yvan MULLER (2013 FIA World Touring Car Championship Winner)

• Adrian NEWEY (Red Bull Racing Formula One Team, Chief Technical Officer)

• Sébastien OGIER (2013 FIA World Rally Championship Winner)

• Sebastian VETTEL (2013 FIA Formula One World Championship Winner

FIA Moment of the Year 2013

The first winners of the FIA’s new ‘Moment of the Year’ award are newly-crowned World Rally Champions Sebastien Ogier and co-driver Julien Ingrassia. They received their awards at this evening’s FIA Prize-Giving Gala in Paris, France.

Their spectacular jump in the WRC Rally of Sardinia was chosen by followers of the FIA's Facebook page as the FIA Moment of the Year for 2013 from a shortlist of 12 videos.

Click here to watch the video