Kubica considers surgery in bid for F1 return

Robert Kubica is considering further surgery on his injured arm and hand in a final bid to return to Formula One.

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 2011 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 however 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 had been improved and this included work in a race simulator.

He has gone on to return to action in rally racing and had tests behind the wheel of a DTM car [German Touring Cars].

But he decided to stick with Rallying for the time being the ultimate aim of perhaps returning to Formula One in the future.

In 2013 Kubica had a session with Mercedes in the Formula One simulator, while Ferrari had also kept a close eye on his progress.

The fact that Ferrari were still keeping an eye on Kubica’s progress right up to last year just shows the talent that Formula One has lost.

The restricted movement in his arm and fingers means that a return to Formula One in his current condition is unlikely, but the 29-year-old is considering further surgery after the World Rally Championship concludes to see if this could be improved sufficiently to return to F1.

‘Once the season is over I will look at everything, It will be a dream to come back to F1.’ Kubica told the BBC.

‘The arm and hand are OK, From a mobility point of view, there have been some improvements. From a limitation point of view, it’s pretty much the same.

‘So I need to have more surgery – and there are possibilities.’

‘Formula 1 would be a dream to come back but we have to stay realistic, If I decide to try and come back I will have more surgery this winter and maybe with the help of the doctors, and with some luck, it will be possible.’