(Agencies)
Updated: 2008-01-15 11:02

MUNICH, Germany - Ayrton Senna and Michael Schumacher are no match for snooker's Ronnie O'Sullivan in the estimation of Polish Formula One driver Robert Kubica.

The BMW Sauber man listed the 'Rocket', Britain's colourful and controversial former world champion, as his sporting hero in a team interview for the launch of their new F1.08 car on Monday.

"After watching him in action I felt he was a great champion," Kubica said.

"I know there are people who are of the opinion that snooker is not a sport. I disagree as I believe it is a very tough sport," added the Pole.

"I think what the players do with their cues is incredible, as is the coordination and mental concentration that is needed from them.

"I expect most drivers would pick someone from motor racing, but for me there are lots of great heroes out there from many different sports."

Kubica, who is also a keen poker player, said he did not play snooker himself and had yet to meet the quickfiring O'Sullivan.

"It's a completely different sport and that's why I like it," he said. "I play a bit, but I'm not good," he told reporters. "My admiration is high for those guys who play so well. I like his personality, what he does and how he does it."

Kubica will be starting his second full season, with BMW Sauber targeting their first win after scoring points in every race last year and finishing 2007 as the third force in the sport behind McLaren and Ferrari.

His German team mate Nick Heidfeld made the podium twice in 2007 while Kubica made the headlines for a massive crash into the wall in Canada that might have proved fatal a few years earlier.

"It was a bit strange because I have been racing since 1995 and every year I have been on the podium," the Pole said of the past season.

"But there always has to be a first time and let's hope that 2008 will be a bit different.

"One thing we know from the wind tunnel and from the engineers' information is that the new car has made quite big progress performance-wise," he added.

BMW Sauber will test the new car for the first time in Valencia on Tuesday after Heidfeld did a brief demonstration run for guests at the factory on Monday. The season starts in Australia on March 16.