BMW Sauber’s Robert Kubica has said that he now expects to take points from races, but that to catch the leaders the car needs to shave a few tenths of a second from its lap times.

The Pole, who is currently in fourth place in the drivers championships behind McLaren Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton and the two Ferrari racers, finished second at the recent Monte Carlo Grand Prix.

Despite having three podium finishes already, or indeed perhaps because of good early results, he said : “I really had to grab this result, as I think anyone could see.”

But, while his good finishes suggest that BMW is closing in on the leaders, Kubica said that the car needs some more adjustments.

He told the official Formula 1 website: “In Sepang I finished second behind a Ferrari, but with almost a 20-second gap. In Monaco, just prior to the last safety car, I had an almost 40-second gap from Lewis. That shows that we still need a few tenths in order to be in the position to win races.”

Click here to see our range of cars.