F1: Lotus Renault GP driver Robert Kubica seriously injured in rally accident
(CNN) — Formula One driver Robert Kubica has suffered serious injuries after crashing a car during a rally in Italy — his Lotus Renault team have confirmed.
The 26-year-old Pole lost control of his Skoda Fabia car at the beginning of the Ronde de Andorra rally near the town of Testico, causing the vehicle to leave the road at high speed and hit the wall of a building.
Kubica was taken to the Hospital Santa Corona di Pietra Ligure, suffering from multiple injuries to his arm and hand.
Confirming the accident, Lotus Renault said in an official statement: “Robert Kubica was airlifted to hospital this morning after suffering an accident at high speed while competing in the Ronde di Andora Rally.
“After undergoing extensive medical tests, he has been diagnosed with multiple fractures to his right arm, leg and hand. He is currently undergoing surgery at the Santa Corona hospital in Pietra Ligure.”
Kubica’s co-driver, Jakub Gerber, was unhurt in the incident.
To add more details, Kubica appears to have struck the end of a guardrail that may have penetrated into the cockpit, resulting in the severe injuries. The car then ricocheted into a church wall.
Kubica will definitely miss the rest of the pre-season testing and will most likely miss the first race of the season at Bahrain on March 13th. Bruno Senna, the 3rd driver on the team, will take over Kubica’s duties until further analysis of the Pole’s injuries determine his future.
This is not the first time Kubica has come to grief in a racing accident. His most famous racing accident was his spectacular crash at the 2007 Canadian Grand Prix, where he only suffered a sprained ankle and slight concussion.
There are many unconfirmed reports of surgeons considering amputating Kubica’s hand/arm due to the severe damage to it, but those are what they are, unconfirmed reports. Hopefully Kubica will be able to return to full function and race again in F1.
EDIT: Minor correction to the post title, as the team’s name is Lotus Renault GP, not Lotus-Renault, as there are two teams that can use that, the aforementioned Lotus Renault GP and Team Lotus.