R. Kubica: “I will return this year!”
Less than a week later, and as he is set to undergo another operation today, Robert Kubica reflected on his accident during an interview with Pino Allievi for Gazetta dello Sport.
For the Pole, his return is beyond doubt: “I want to come back stronger than ever because after this kind of accident, you are no longer the same, you improve,” he says.
Robert Kubica speaks here with authority. A victim of a terrible accident, without physical consequences, in Montreal in 2007, he came back stronger to win there in 2008.
This happened to me in 2007 […] and when I came back, I was better. Driving is not just about accelerating and turning the wheel, it’s more than that. There is a difference between someone who drives at 80% and someone who is at 95%: in those 15%, you find the strength and motivation to come back.
Since 2007, I have become a stronger driver. And it will be the same this time, when I return, asserts the Pole before adding: I will be back this year!
Regarding his injuries, particularly the use of his right hand, the driver is reassuring and reflects on a little-known episode of his life: «I remember well my condition, seven years ago, when I was in a car with a friend driving and we were hit by a reckless driver. […] It was the same arm… smashed. But after four days I didn’t feel as good as I do today, and that comforts me.»
Many people have been optimistic about the return of the Polish driver, counting on the exceptional recovery abilities of top athletes. He himself hopes to return as soon as possible with the best possible preparation.
“My fingers move, I can feel them, as well as my arm,” he confides, while on Sunday, there were fears of amputation. But Robert is not putting the cart before the horse: “I have to undergo another operation, and I won’t know until after that…”
Since Sunday, Kubica’s accident has sparked a debate on the necessity and interest for teams to let drivers take such risks outside of F1. But for the Pole, there’s no reason to argue: “If I hadn’t done it, I would have stayed home regretting it. […] So I did it, and now I’m in this bed. But rallying is not just a passion, it’s training for F1,” confides the driver. “Performance in F1 comes from a series of details. […] Rallying has allowed me to work on certain aspects of myself where I can still improve. It’s important in a season like this, with 20 events.”
Finally, the former BMW driver has a thought for all those who came to see him at the Santa Corona hospital in Pietra Ligure: «It was good to see Briatore, an exceptional person. Then Alonso, [Gérard] Lopez, Petrov, Alesi, Liuzzi. […] the track never shows you the true face of people.»
