OT: Kubica narrowly avoids amputation
02-08-2011, 03:44 AM
#16
He's a racer. He was racing.
f1.com update:
Renault’s Robert Kubica was able to talk to relatives and move the fingers in his injured right hand on Monday morning, after being briefly awoken by doctors at Italy’s Santa Corona Hospital (Pietra Ligure).
Kubica was placed into an artificially-induced coma on Sunday after undergoing seven hours of surgery to reconstruct his right forearm, following a high-speed crash whilst competing in the Ronde di Andora Rally.
The Polish driver spent the night under constant observation and on Monday Professor Mario Igor Rossello, Director for the Regional Centre of Hand Surgery at San Paolo Hospital in Savona, encouragingly reported that there is no swelling or infection on the right forearm, though it will be several days before it is known if the operation has been 100 percent successful.
In order to avoid further physical stress, Kubica will be put under gentle medication in order to sleep for the next 24 hours at least. In the meantime doctors will decide how to treat his elbow and shoulder fractures. Kubica may have to undergo surgery once again for this, but not for a few days.
f1.com update:
Renault’s Robert Kubica was able to talk to relatives and move the fingers in his injured right hand on Monday morning, after being briefly awoken by doctors at Italy’s Santa Corona Hospital (Pietra Ligure).
Kubica was placed into an artificially-induced coma on Sunday after undergoing seven hours of surgery to reconstruct his right forearm, following a high-speed crash whilst competing in the Ronde di Andora Rally.
The Polish driver spent the night under constant observation and on Monday Professor Mario Igor Rossello, Director for the Regional Centre of Hand Surgery at San Paolo Hospital in Savona, encouragingly reported that there is no swelling or infection on the right forearm, though it will be several days before it is known if the operation has been 100 percent successful.
In order to avoid further physical stress, Kubica will be put under gentle medication in order to sleep for the next 24 hours at least. In the meantime doctors will decide how to treat his elbow and shoulder fractures. Kubica may have to undergo surgery once again for this, but not for a few days.
02-08-2011, 08:50 PM
#17
Rennlist Member
animated recreation
neat video of an animated recreation of the accident. Amazing how minimal it SHOULD have been, had the guardrail not failed as shown in the animation. No wonder the Italian authorities are investigating the incident---although the Italians do have a bad history of investigations where they have no business.
Anyway, if an accurate depiction(verified by the co-driver)it was a recoverable incident. Would have scrubbed off some time-did some minor body damage, and should have been safetly driven to the end of the stage at racing speed.
So unfortunate.
Glad to hear he is progressing well.
http://formula-one.speedtv.com/artic...s-renault-team
Anyway, if an accurate depiction(verified by the co-driver)it was a recoverable incident. Would have scrubbed off some time-did some minor body damage, and should have been safetly driven to the end of the stage at racing speed.
So unfortunate.
Glad to hear he is progressing well.
http://formula-one.speedtv.com/artic...s-renault-team
02-12-2011, 12:05 PM
#18
First interview 
"I want to get back on the track stronger than ever, because after these accidents you aren't what you were before, you improve," Kubica said in an interview with Gazzetta dello Sport. "It happened to me in 2007 too, after the crash in Canada [in which he suffered a broken leg]. I was out for a race and when I got back I was better.
"A driver is not just throttle and steering wheel, it's more than that. There's a difference between someone who drives at 80% and who does at 95%: in that 15% extra you find the abilities and the motivations coming out. Since 2007, I'm stronger head-wise as a driver. And it will be the same this time again, when I'll be back in good physical shape. I must return this year. I remember well my state when, seven years ago, I was in a car with a friend driving, we were hit by another car driven by a drunk. We ended up against a barrier and bent it, before falling down a cliff.
"It was the same right arm: massacred. But after four days it didn't feel as good as it feels now and this reassures me. Dr Ceccarelli did the rest, and he assists me now too. I have an insane urge to cut the times with the best possible preparation. I don't even know what a bone is like but since they are fixing it for me, it's up to me to make it work the way it's supposed to."
Kubica said he remembered nothing about the rallying accident that left him with fractures to his legs and arms and in danger of losing a hand. When asked about his condition he said: "The fingers work, I can feel them, and the arm does too. But I'm undergoing surgery and I will know only after that.
"I'm sorry for what has happened. It shouldn't have. I don't even know what happened; I can't remember anything of the crash. I found myself in hospital and everything was explained by my manager, Daniele Morelli, who has been here since Sunday."
Kubica said he had been right to drive in the rally. "Had I not done it, I would have stayed home regretting it," he said. "So I did it and now I'm in this bed. But rallies aren't just a passion. They are severe training for F1. I drive better in F1 because I did many rallies last year. Rallying helps your concentration, especially since there is almost no more testing in F1. Performance in F1 comes from a series of details. Rallying has allowed me to work on certain aspects of myself where there are still margins to improve. It's important in a season like this with 20 races."
http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2011...ca-rally-crash
"I want to get back on the track stronger than ever, because after these accidents you aren't what you were before, you improve," Kubica said in an interview with Gazzetta dello Sport. "It happened to me in 2007 too, after the crash in Canada [in which he suffered a broken leg]. I was out for a race and when I got back I was better.
"A driver is not just throttle and steering wheel, it's more than that. There's a difference between someone who drives at 80% and who does at 95%: in that 15% extra you find the abilities and the motivations coming out. Since 2007, I'm stronger head-wise as a driver. And it will be the same this time again, when I'll be back in good physical shape. I must return this year. I remember well my state when, seven years ago, I was in a car with a friend driving, we were hit by another car driven by a drunk. We ended up against a barrier and bent it, before falling down a cliff.
"It was the same right arm: massacred. But after four days it didn't feel as good as it feels now and this reassures me. Dr Ceccarelli did the rest, and he assists me now too. I have an insane urge to cut the times with the best possible preparation. I don't even know what a bone is like but since they are fixing it for me, it's up to me to make it work the way it's supposed to."
Kubica said he remembered nothing about the rallying accident that left him with fractures to his legs and arms and in danger of losing a hand. When asked about his condition he said: "The fingers work, I can feel them, and the arm does too. But I'm undergoing surgery and I will know only after that.
"I'm sorry for what has happened. It shouldn't have. I don't even know what happened; I can't remember anything of the crash. I found myself in hospital and everything was explained by my manager, Daniele Morelli, who has been here since Sunday."
Kubica said he had been right to drive in the rally. "Had I not done it, I would have stayed home regretting it," he said. "So I did it and now I'm in this bed. But rallies aren't just a passion. They are severe training for F1. I drive better in F1 because I did many rallies last year. Rallying helps your concentration, especially since there is almost no more testing in F1. Performance in F1 comes from a series of details. Rallying has allowed me to work on certain aspects of myself where there are still margins to improve. It's important in a season like this with 20 races."
http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2011...ca-rally-crash
02-12-2011, 12:22 PM
#20
02-13-2011, 07:27 AM
#21
Those pictures are unreal. And, that interview he gives really shows why these guys are at the top of their game. These F1 guys make other pro sports people look like huge wimps.
04-23-2011, 06:31 PM
#22
Robert Kubica Q&A: Fans’ response has been overwhelming 21 Apr 2011
The Renault team - and Formula One in general - was dealt a heavy blow in February when star driver Robert Kubica was ruled out of the start of the 2011 season following a serious crash during the Ronde di Andora Rally in Italy. Several surgeries and over two months later, Kubica is finally looking forward to leaving hospital and briefly heading home, before commencing the rehabilitation programme which everyone hopes will precede his F1 return. Speaking to his team’s official website, the Pole had the following to say to his fans…
Robert Kubica: Hello everybody, here I am. Sorry for the delay in contacting you but I preferred to wait until the moment I could finally share some positive news with you. First of all I would like to pay a huge amount of thanks to my fans whose support has been simply incredible since my accident in Italy back in February. I have been literally submerged by letters and various gifts and objects and it seems the flow is not slowing down. I also want to thank all the people in the world of F1 who showed in various manners their concern for the difficult situation I’m in.
Q: Robert, just over 10 weeks on from your accident - how are you feeling?
RK: I am starting to feel a lot better now. My recovery is moving in the right direction: my strength and weight are increasing day on day and as a result I will leave the Santa Corona hospital very soon.
Q: When exactly will you leave the hospital?
RK: I don’t have a precise date as yet but I hope to be able to leave within the next 10 days.
Q: Concerning the injury to your hand, how is the mobility now?
RK: The mobility of my hand is limited but this is pretty normal in this kind of situation, because the connected arm muscles are still very weak due to the long period of immobility. Things are definitely improving day by day.
Q: Can you tell us a little bit about your rehabilitation programme?
RK: As soon as I leave hospital, I’ll head to my home in Monaco for a short period of rest. Then I’ll move to Dr Ceccarelli‘s facilities in Italy where I will start a deep rehabilitation program and a preliminary soft training programme. The two programmes will gradually cross over based on the speed of my recovery.
Q: There’s been an amazing reaction from the fans - how has the response helped your recovery?
RK: I must admit that it’s been overwhelming and, yes, it’s helped me a lot. I really didn’t realise that quite this many fans were supporting me. I’m very flattered and I promise them that, when I’m back, I’ll give them my absolute best.
Q: Have you been staying in regular touch with the team since you’ve been away?
RK: Yes, of course. Especially since the season started, I’ve been liaising with my engineers on what’s been going on over race weekends. They are sending me the race reports so I can remain up to date and fully informed, as if I were there at the tracks. (Team principal) Eric Boullier is also in constant contact, keeping up to date with my general condition.
Q: Have you watched all the races so far this year, and what are you making of the new season and Lotus Renault GP’s performances so far?
RK: Yes I’ve watched them, and there is no doubt that it’s been a strong start to the season. The potential of the car, which I already noticed in the February Valencia test, seems to be confirmed. As usual, it’s now important that the development done in Enstone continues to produce consistent updates for maintaining this level of performance. The guys did a great job with this car and I’m sure they’ll continue to improve.
Q: Finally, what messages would you like to pass on to your supporters in the Formula One world?
RK: Well, just continue to enjoy the F1 show even though I’m not there at the moment. From my side, I’ll try to use my difficult experience to come back as strong as I possibly can.
The Renault team - and Formula One in general - was dealt a heavy blow in February when star driver Robert Kubica was ruled out of the start of the 2011 season following a serious crash during the Ronde di Andora Rally in Italy. Several surgeries and over two months later, Kubica is finally looking forward to leaving hospital and briefly heading home, before commencing the rehabilitation programme which everyone hopes will precede his F1 return. Speaking to his team’s official website, the Pole had the following to say to his fans…
Robert Kubica: Hello everybody, here I am. Sorry for the delay in contacting you but I preferred to wait until the moment I could finally share some positive news with you. First of all I would like to pay a huge amount of thanks to my fans whose support has been simply incredible since my accident in Italy back in February. I have been literally submerged by letters and various gifts and objects and it seems the flow is not slowing down. I also want to thank all the people in the world of F1 who showed in various manners their concern for the difficult situation I’m in.
Q: Robert, just over 10 weeks on from your accident - how are you feeling?
RK: I am starting to feel a lot better now. My recovery is moving in the right direction: my strength and weight are increasing day on day and as a result I will leave the Santa Corona hospital very soon.
Q: When exactly will you leave the hospital?
RK: I don’t have a precise date as yet but I hope to be able to leave within the next 10 days.
Q: Concerning the injury to your hand, how is the mobility now?
RK: The mobility of my hand is limited but this is pretty normal in this kind of situation, because the connected arm muscles are still very weak due to the long period of immobility. Things are definitely improving day by day.
Q: Can you tell us a little bit about your rehabilitation programme?
RK: As soon as I leave hospital, I’ll head to my home in Monaco for a short period of rest. Then I’ll move to Dr Ceccarelli‘s facilities in Italy where I will start a deep rehabilitation program and a preliminary soft training programme. The two programmes will gradually cross over based on the speed of my recovery.
Q: There’s been an amazing reaction from the fans - how has the response helped your recovery?
RK: I must admit that it’s been overwhelming and, yes, it’s helped me a lot. I really didn’t realise that quite this many fans were supporting me. I’m very flattered and I promise them that, when I’m back, I’ll give them my absolute best.
Q: Have you been staying in regular touch with the team since you’ve been away?
RK: Yes, of course. Especially since the season started, I’ve been liaising with my engineers on what’s been going on over race weekends. They are sending me the race reports so I can remain up to date and fully informed, as if I were there at the tracks. (Team principal) Eric Boullier is also in constant contact, keeping up to date with my general condition.
Q: Have you watched all the races so far this year, and what are you making of the new season and Lotus Renault GP’s performances so far?
RK: Yes I’ve watched them, and there is no doubt that it’s been a strong start to the season. The potential of the car, which I already noticed in the February Valencia test, seems to be confirmed. As usual, it’s now important that the development done in Enstone continues to produce consistent updates for maintaining this level of performance. The guys did a great job with this car and I’m sure they’ll continue to improve.
Q: Finally, what messages would you like to pass on to your supporters in the Formula One world?
RK: Well, just continue to enjoy the F1 show even though I’m not there at the moment. From my side, I’ll try to use my difficult experience to come back as strong as I possibly can.
