Robert Kubica not new to high speed crashes
Robert Kubica crashed his Skoda 2000 into a guard rail while taking part in the Ronde di Andora Rally in Italy, on Sunday.
The F1 ace was seriously injured with several fractures on his right arm and leg. He had to be cut free from his car and airlifted to a hospital where he underwent 7 hours of surgery. He was kept unconscious overnight for medical care.
While his general condition is said to be improving, he will undergo two further operations to stabilise the multiple fractures and is likely to stay in the hospital for two to three weeks.
Kubica’s co-driver Jakub Gerber, has criticised the arrangements of the road barriers. He has pointed out that the accident may not have been this severe, if there had been no gaps between the guard rails.
This was not the first crash Kubica has been involved in.
The polish driver had a worst accident in the 2007 Canadian Grand Prix at Montreal’s Circuit Gilles Villeneuve; his car slid off the circuit and smashed into a concrete wall. He hit the wall at almost 300 kph before rebounding and hitting another barrier.
Luckily, he suffered only a light concussions and an injured ankle, and missed only one Grand Prix after the accident.
In his junior carrier in 2003, he suffered a road accident which left him with a broken arm. Kubica went on to win his debut Euro Formula, with 18 titanium bolts holding his it together.
John Booth, the principal of Virgin Racing team, believes the risk of harm doesn’t inhibit F1 drivers.
“Robert almost lost his arm five years ago in a road accident. You can't stop them driving cars, can you?” he said.
The Lotus Renault team has said that it will take Kubica two to three months to get back on the track, but the doctors insist his full recovery may take at least a year. In either case, he is unlikely be fit for the first Formula One race of the season,
set to take place in Bahrain on 13 March, 2011.
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