F1 Driver Robert Kubica Seriously Injured After Rally Crash, Might Miss Entire 2011 F1 Season

The 26 year-old Polish star has suffered massive injury to his right hand, as it got partially severed in the crash. He has also suffered injury to his shoulder and elbow.

After a 7-hour surgery on his hand, the doctors have reported that Kubica is “able to move his fingers” and even “spoke to his relatives” according to a statement released by Renault.

Kubica, who has been the senior driver in the Renault -F1 team, just recently completed testing of the new Group Lotus-Renault R31 in Valencia, Spain. He is known to participate in rallying events, a decision Renault F1 boss Eric Boullier defends.

According to reports, it took the rescue team over an hour to pull Kubica from his wrecked car, because the race car had to be cut open to extract him safely. He was then air-lifted to Santa Corona hospital near Genoa, where the operation took place.

To reduce physical stress, the doctors will put Kubica under gentle medication to allow him to sleep as much as possible. They will operate on his elbow and shoulder in a few days time, allowing his body to recover from the first operation. Professor Mario Igor Rossello, who was part of the surgery team said that Kubica had lost a lot of blood, and when he arrived at the hospital he was unconscious, hence they had to wait before operating on him. However, now “the hand is warm and this means the operation went well” said Rossello.

Due to the injuries suffered in this crash, Kubica will probably have to miss the entire 2011 F1 season, and its too soon to say what lies beyond this year. His doctors however are confident that the recovery should take less than a year.

The newly formed Lotus-Renault F1 team has two reserve drivers, namely Bruno Senna and Romain Grosjean who can step in to fill the seat for the 2011 F1 season which starts on March 13.

All of us at the AutoGuide office would like to wish Kubica a speedy recovery and will hopefully see him back in action soon.

(Source: BBC)