SHANGHAI - BMW Sauber's Robert Kubica said he was happy with sixth place in the Chinese Grand Prix despite seeing his slim title hopes extinguished on Sunday.
Kubica, the first Pole to race in Formula One, needed to win here to have any chance of overhauling Lewis Hamilton and Felipe Massa in the standings.
But he was delighted to climb up from 11th on the grid, and set himself a new target of finishing third in the standings. Kubica, 23, is six points clear of Ferrari's Kimi Raikkonen.
"After a very difficult qualifying, I'm pleased with sixth," he said.
"I made up a position at the start and then another two when Jarno Trulli and Sebastien Bourdais touched in the first corner.
"The balance of the car was still not good in the first two stints, and it only changed in the final stint after we changed to the softer compound.
"There is now one race left, and I shall try hard to defend my third place in the drivers' championship."
