Despite almost two years passing since Robert Kubica’s suffered horrific injuries in a rally crash, it still isn’t clear if the Polish driver will ever return to Formula One.
The 28-year-old has got back behind the wheel of a car, competing in some rally car events and could be looking at competing in the European Rally Championship this year with either Ford or Citroen.
He’s also set to test a Mercedes DTM car at Valencia on Friday, with a view to see how well he does in a race track scenario.
‘If we see that he is doing well in a proper racing car with downforce, I think there are still some physical constraints to driving a monocoque chassis, with his elbow and with his arm, I think we would all love to see Robert doing well in a Formula 1 car in the future, but it is definitely too early at this stage.’ Mercedes boss Toto Wolff told Autosport Magazine.
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 the next move could be to DTM [German Touring Cars].
Wolff added: ‘We all obviously like Robert. He’s very special. I think what we want to do at Mercedes-Benz is give him a chance of doing a proper test in a proper racing car, seeing how he goes and how he feels, He’s not 100 per cent fit yet. It’s the first time he’s in a car with downforce and I think we have to take it from there.’
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