Kubica: “My accident made me more emotional”
Robert Kubica may have a different approach upon his return to Formula 1 competition for the 2019 season. His accident in rally in 2011 has profoundly changed his feelings towards his passion for driving.
In an interview with the British newspaper The Sun, the new Williams driver, who will return to Formula 1 competition this year, openly reflected on his rally accident in 2011 that marked a turning point in his career.
Grievously injured in the right forearm but also in the hand, elbow, and leg, Kubica will take months to recover from his multiple surgical procedures before being able to get back behind the wheel, a stated goal by the Pole during his rehabilitation: « There were many very tough moments. But the hardest part was to struggle mentally rather than physically. The worst moments were those when I had good recovery periods and underwent surgery with a lot of hope and optimism. But when I woke up, I experienced the opposite. It was like putting a knife in the chest. You have all this positivity and end up going back six months. »
Like a premonition, the now Williams driver had hesitated to go to Italy to participate in this rally: “A few days before this event, I woke up and didn’t want to go. I had a strange feeling. But after the accident, I wasn’t angry. It wasn’t like someone had pointed a gun at me. I can still remember a lot of it. But most of my recovery, both mentally and physically, was about not thinking too much about it. But I didn’t completely erase it because it was a defining moment, not only as a racer, but as a human being. During my recovery, I knew I would have better days and worse days, but I made the difference when I accepted what had happened.”
The speed with which he found himself behind a wheel surprised Kubica himself: « Considering that for three months, I wasn’t walking and the two months thereafter, I was in a wheelchair, I drove quite early. I was as fast as before, which was harder to accept, because I had my limits. That’s why, when I started my comeback, it was with rallies rather than F1 circuits. »
But the call of Formula 1 and the single-seaters was the strongest for the Pole, who sees his return to the pinnacle of motorsport as a new opportunity: « It was like having an open wound, and every time I went to a circuit, I bled again. I could have forgotten about Formula 1, but as I started getting closer to the circuit, I finally felt the desire to come back. »
In 2019, the Krakow native will certainly not have the same approach as in the first part of his career: « My accident made me more emotional. Before, I was like a machine. I won a race in Canada and I was happy, but I didn’t celebrate. The accident changed me a lot. I am now much more sensitive and emotional. You have to learn to control these emotions, and even though I’m not afraid of them, I just hope they will have a positive effect on me. » concluded Kubica.
