Kubica's Recovery

[Morteza]

Interview with Kubica :

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.

[Giblet]

That is the most positive thing I have read so far. To him it sounds like a done deal. no if, just when.

[ringo]

They should have asked him about Heidfeld warming his R31 seat.
Should be some motivation to come back stronger for 2012.

[Tamburello]

I think it's clear that he already seems very motivated to come back, which is a good sign.

[FJCA]

I would like to recover in time to run some GP this season, but is great news, I hope to return 100% recovered.

[spiderek21]

Kubica just left the hospital! http://robertscomeback.blogspot.com/201 ... pital.html

[Mr Alcatraz]

As I pointed out (on another forum) it's the nerve damage in his severed hand that is the most serious issue facing his recovery, and return to F1. Tendons and bones can be reconnected, and generally will knit given time. Nerves have to reconnect themselves. This can be a very long process, even many years for the final results. However they have a pretty good idea after about one year or less the general amount of feeling that will be realized

What has yet to be determined is whether Kubica will ever return to F1, in particular given the severe nerve damage sustained to his right hand."His injuries were quite bad.

Bones and muscles are quite easy to fix, if I may say this, but nerves, it's a different story.

"You need to be cautious in their development, which is why they need to take time.

"It's all about him developing the feeling again in his right hand."

restoredhttp://www.sportinglife.com/others/news/story_ ... ml&BID=678

[spiderek21]

He is working hard (look there: http://robertscomeback.blogspot.com/201 ... .html#more ), I think that he will be back sooner than we expect

[Giblet]

There's control nerves and sensory nerves. While I no longer have feeling in my forearm, I was lucky and about 1/2 inch from severing the nerve that runs my hand. Having a limp hand at the end of my arm was nearly a fact for me and could be one for Robert.

Once nerves are reconnected they can do wonders, but it could take some more surgeries. I was given the option of trying to reconnect mine, but considering it's only the top half of my forearm, I can live with it being numb. Plus I can use it to win bar bets.

Robert could end up 90% recovered wound wise, but have to go under for deep muscle surgery again.

The news we get is most often positive, but they are not saying anything decisive so they know as well that he's not in the clear.

Again, from personal experience, my brother's friend won 'Top Stick' in air cadets and won a trip to ride in an F-18. On the way there, the van he was in with the other cadets went off the road and rolled down an embankment. The side of the van split open, the closed on his hand as the van kept rolling. They almost removed it completely, but spent over 10 hours reconstructing/reattaching. It was a successful surgery, and aside from numbness and a bit of a permanent 'kung fu grip', he's all good. PS - when getting a skin graft make sure to ask that they remember to put it so the hairs point the right direction.

He now plays guitar, and has built his own airplane which he flies, so I still have nothing but hope for Robert and his career.

[HampusA]

I´ve been bitten by a dog over my bicep and it broke all the nerves around my tricep. I had no feeling in that particular area but now 2 years later it´s almost 100% again.
(mainly due to the bloody dog penetrating my muscle with one of those nice long side teeth they have)

It takes a long time for the nerves to find each other again, sometimes they don´t but most of the time they will. The human body is an amzing piece of kit

[Giblet]

This was a random occurrence, but apparently not unique.

http://imgur.com/a/BLemI

[HampusA]

Seen many pics like that, one was a R8 and the driver did not make it since it passed where his should was..

It got me wondering if they overlap in the right direction? Maybe the overlap should be extended aswell..

[bot6]

Good way to create extra downforce... but the induced drag might be prohibitive...

[netoperek]

Robert will drive F1 car shortly! As a part of a rehabilitiaon process!

R29 but still a F1 car!

from
http://robertscomeback.blogspot.com/

[Mr Alcatraz]

Robert will drive F1 car shortly! As a part of a rehabilitiaon process!

R29 but still a F1 car!

from
http://robertscomeback.blogspot.com/

Define shortly?
The article doesn't say anything we do not already know about the duration of his recovery!
The questions are still; when? and even if?
The R29 would be a logical choice for him when he is ready to get behind the wheel, although I suspect the simulator is going to come first, not to mention other contraptions that will be used in a very lengthy recovery.
Good luck to Robert!