Robert Kubica: How did he get back to F1 after an injury that turned his life upside down?

This is an updated version of a story that started in August 2017

The power of history and the resilience of its subject are inescapable – Robert Kubica will race in Formula 1 next year, eight long years after nearly being killed, and with that we can not than describe as a handicap.

The wounded right arm of the 33-year-old Pole bears witness to the brutal battle Kubica has waged since much of his right side was broken by a road barrier that entered his car at a rally. in northern Italy in February 2011..

At the time, he was one of the brightest stars of F1, ready to begin his second season with Renault. He had already signed to join Ferrari as a teammate of Fernando Alonso in 2012.

But that possible future was torn off when he lost control of the road on an icy mountain road, ran into that barrier and had to fight for his life, with a partially severed right arm and multiple fractures.

This arm and hand still carry the effects of this accident – visibly atrophied, awkwardly held, they clearly have a limited force and partial movements.

This is clear from his car shots showing that he was driving his Williams at training sessions this year; he can not bend the fingers of his right hand, so, in a way, he is wedging himself against the wheel, effectively using nothing more than friction to turn on that side.

And yet, Kubica has now been announced as a Williams driver for the 2019 Formula One season.

It's one of the most remarkable back stories in the history of sports.

What happened to Kubica?

One can only imagine the difficulties faced by Kubica, the determination and the mental strength that it took to get to this point.

When he crashed his rally car in February 2011, he was just weeks away from his fifth full F1 season and was considered a talent in the same category as superstar world champions Lewis Hamilton and Alonso.

He drove in the rally for fun, but also because he thought it would make him a better driver. But then, things went wrong and the images of the aftermath of the accident tell their own story.

It took an hour to get him out of the car. Once in the hospital, the first operation (he has since 17 more) lasted seven hours.

"Reality was the first big moment I was fighting to be alive," Kubica said in an interview with BBC Sport in 2017.

"People only focus on my arm, because that's the biggest limitation. But in reality, I had fractures from the feet to the shoulders, on the right side.

"I had a lot of fractures and that's why it was so complicated and so long to recover. But of course, my arm was the most damaged.

"The first two months have been tough, I've been fortunate to be sporty and to drive F1, that's probably why my arm is still there."

"But on the other hand, there are times when you have to forget who you are but you are a human being – it may be something where the situation has not been easy. to manage."

Eighteen months after the accident, Kubica was back in a rally car and won the first event in which he participated.

"People would see me and concentrate to get me back to the car as quickly as possible," he said. "In the end, I decided to get up early in the morning to start being a race driver.

"It probably took me over two years to get back to a reasonable level.For months, if not a full year, I was suffering everywhere, depending on the conditions in which I was."

"You must first feel good about yourself before doing something that needs to be fast or driving a race car.It is not that I lost my biggest passion, it's always the race.

But also my life in general has changed a lot and that was crucial. "

The long way back to F1

In 2013, Kubica's arm was sufficiently recovered to allow him to work on the Mercedes F1 simulator, but he did not have the necessary movements to drive an F1 car. He was not able to rotate his wrist enough – he could only turn left when raising his elbow, which is not possible in an F1 cockpit.

Instead, he turned to the rally and spent three seasons in the world championship, being incredibly fast and brave, but subject to major accidents.

By the end of 2015, the money was exhausted.

"I did not know if I would have the chance to return to F1," said Kubica, "but after the rally, I had a difficult time, I weighed 10 kg, maybe 15 kg, compared to the normal weight, so I started to prepare myself. "

He systematically tried a range of race cars to see if he could be competitive there, explored the idea of ​​returns in German DTM passenger cars and the World Endurance Championship.

The turning point was around December 2016, when he spent some time in the simulator at the Italian car manufacturer Dallara and realized that a return to F1 would now be a realistic possibility.

"I needed to regain the good pace of my life and if the opportunity arose, I had to make the most of it," he said. "In most cars, I was able to reach my goal and four months ago, no one could wait for it.This is why I really appreciate the luck that gives me Renault, but I want to do my best. "

The guys from Renault stayed in touch and suggested a one-off test on a 2012 F1 car.

That happened in Valencia in June 2017. It was above all to complete the circle, just to give it a chance to try again after so long. But he was so impressed – more than 100 laps, faster than the team's reserve driver – that a second try, much more serious this time, was organized.

This test took place at Paul Ricard in the south of France, after which the hope of a return was possible. But after a third test of the car's 2017 stable at the Hungaroring, Renault's cooled – it had not been fast enough.

Williams, however, was interested and started talks. They are about to sign a contract with him for the race in 2018, but another test sets things straight.

In Abu Dhabi last year, immediately after the end of the season, Kubica led race driver Williams, Lance Stroll, and Russian hope Sergey Sirotkin.

After eliminating the variables of fuel load, tire type and car configuration, Williams found that Kubica, though faster than Stroll, was slower than Sirotkin. And the Russian had more than doubled the amount of sponsorship he could bring to the team, which made the decision easy. It was Sirotkin; Kubica has been offered the role of reserve pilot.

So, what changed a year later?

Kubica performed several tests for Williams this year, as well as simulator work. In the virtual world, it is faster than Stroll and Sirotkin. This was less immediately apparent in the real world, but events turned in favor of Kubica.

Stroll and his money go to Force India, now headed by his father after a mid-season takeover.

Sirotkin, meanwhile, was not particularly impressive in his first season. He over-qualified the Canadian 12 times in 20 races, but his advantage was not as great as the team or his fans hoped for. As a result, he has less money than last year and Kubica has been able to find more.

At the same time, Kubica is highly valued within the team, has excellent technical feedback, promotion is a factor of well-being and a positive public relations effect, and hope that more time in the car will be able to recover its old capabilities.

Alongside him, hopes are very high for new rookie George Russell, a British driver about to win the Formula 2 title this weekend, a Mercedes protégé and one of the highest-rated prospects Sport.

Why Kubica's concern?

Kubica has only won one race in his F1 career: the 2008 Canadian Grand Prix. So, why some might ask, is his comeback so complicated?

On one level, the answer to this question is obvious. If a man with this type of handicap, having gone through so many difficulties, can return to F1 after eight years and be competitive, it is impressive.

But beyond that, it's possible that a mega talent will come back in F1.

"Robert is one of the fastest drivers I've ever faced," Hamilton said. "He is one of the best drivers I've driven.

"Just a raw and natural talent, which I think as a sport, is a shame we do not have with us because there are not many things going on. 39, excellent pilots, but excellent pilots arriving … much better than the rest, but still not the best, and then you have real special pilots like him. "

The last season of Kubica was his best. In the uncompromising Renault car, he achieved breathtaking performances, the best on the three biggest driver circuits of the calendar – Monaco, Spa and Suzuka.

He qualified second, third and fourth at these races, places where the car was not allowed to be. And was equally impressive at the grand prix.

Kubica had to stop his interviews on television immediately after qualifying in Japan because he had discovered that he did not know how to talk. He went to sit alone for 10 minutes while he contemplated what he had just done.

Renault sports director Alan Permane, who played a pivotal role in organizing Kubica tests for the team in 2017, said: "The qualifications for Suzuka in 2010 have been a turn as I do not I've never seen anyone else, life out of itself. "

A man who has been working in F1 for over 25 years and worked alongside Michael Schumacher and Alonso, is quite a compliment.

How does its limitations affect it?

Seeing Kubica in the paddock, his right arm clearly limited in his movements, and looking at images in his car, it seems incredible that he can drive at a speed close to the absolute pace of F1.

But as he says, "I drive as my body and my limitations let me do.After my accident, I discovered that to make a roundabout in the road car, you do not have to take the wheel, you can use friction to turn.

"F1 is not a road car, but I have also been to school where you are given a bird in your hand and you have to hold it [so] that he does not fly but that you can not hold him too long for him to be afraid. That's how you have to stand behind the wheel.

"When I was in Malaysia in the past, during one of the first week-ends I did in 2006 [as BMW test driver]there were pictures when you see me driving with three open fingers. And the engineers were shocked.

"They said" Why? "I said," I do not know. Probably you do not need to use all the power you have. You just need to use what is enough. "

"So it looks different from 10 years ago and for others, I know, but the result is probably the same or almost the same."

As Mark Webber, a former rival, said: "What a warrior he is."