Robert Kubica has confirmed that he has had a session in a Mercedes Formula One simulator.
When Kubica crashed his Skoda Fabia during the opening stage of the Ronde di Andora rally in Italy back in February 2011. His car crashed into a barrier which penetrated his car leaving him with a partially severed right hand and fractures to his right leg and arm.
In the days following his accident, the Pole underwent three operations and was put in an induced coma to help aid his recovery, it had been hoped that he wouldn?t require any further surgery, but in early March 2011, Kubica had a fourth operation to help the mobility of his elbow.
After a month of rehabilitation the then Renault driver underwent another large operation which was to remove adhesions affecting the functionality of his right forearm and elbow muscles and in August he underwent further elbow surgery in a bid to give him full mobility of his right elbow.
Surgeons were reportedly very happy immediately following the procedure and after a few days rest in hospital, Kubica resumed his rehabilitation and intensive training programme.
In January 2012 the Polish driver suffered another set back when he underwent an operation to have a metal screw inserted to pin the bone in his leg to reduce the fracture after he reopened the fracture in his tibia after falling in the garden in an accident at his house in Italy.
In June 2012 he had more surgery which was designed to improve the mobility of his arm and the procedure included having parts of his elbow removed and replaced with two prosthesis at Pederzoli Hospital.
Following the procedure, the former Renault driver underwent various tests to see how much his movement has been improved and this included work in a race simulator.
He has since gone on to return to action in rally racing and had tests behind the wheel of a DTM car [German Touring Cars].
But he has decided to stick with Rallying for the time being the ultimate aim of returning to Formula One in the future. A rumour in recent weeks suggested that he had also had a session with Mercedes in the Formula One simulator, which the Pole has now confirmed did take place.
‘I can say yes, I was there, But I cannot say how many times or how many laps I did.
‘But there is this rumour to which I say, yes, I was in the Mercedes F1 simulator in the past.’ Kubica told Autosport Magazine.
Kubica didn’t rule out that it wouldn’t happen again, but did try to play down the rumours if he was spotted in England again!
‘it’s not that every time someone sees me at Heathrow airport I am going to Mercedes.
‘I am also at Heathrow for different reasons, it doesn’t always have to be a connection with that.’
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