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[madbrad]

Oh yeah I forgot about Mika. So Mika and Lauda are glaring exceptions

[kerc]

I miss Kubica.

[Pandaman]

I'm a big Kubica fan and really hope he makes a come back. I even wore a 'Get well soon Kubica' T-shirt when i was at the Malaysian GP this year.

But I do fear the worse and think the chances of him coming back are slim and him getting back in form is even slimmer. The standard is so high now that you really need to be in peak fitness. And I'm sure a year out of the game won't help.

Still, fingers crossed!

[Fred_C_Dobbs]

"Our goal is to get [Kubica] back in F1, but he will still need a few more months of rehabilitation.

"The cuts were so bad that many colleagues and specialists had ruled out a return to the wheel for Robert.

"But, clinically, little by little everything has improved and the hope to see him driving as soon as 2012 is becoming more and more concrete."

-- Dr Riccardo Ceccarelli


Actually, I consider this positive news because admitting he will not be ready for the start of the season removes some of the pressure to rush to a premature return. Better his attempt to return fails because the layoff cost him his edge than because his wounds aren't yet well healed.

[f1ea]

"The cuts were so bad that many colleagues and specialists had ruled out a return to the wheel for Robert.

Hmmm i didnt like this part much. When many colleagues and specialists make opinions, they are ussually neutral in opinion. I'm sure his doctor is giving the absolutely optimistic approach. But the fact that he is being quite optimistic, and kind of simply reserving a date rather than a verdict, is encouraging.

[Fred_C_Dobbs]

Kubica ready for F1 - surgeon
ESPNF1 Staff
October 25, 2011

The progress of Robert Kubica's recovery continues to get mixed coverage as his hand surgeon says he is ready to drive a racing car again.

Last week Kubica's doctor Ricciardo Ceccarelli said that Kubica would need "a few more months" to recover from his rally accident in February of this year, which appeared to rule out a return to Formula One in 2012 with Renault wanting to confirm its driver line-up in November. Igor Rossello, however, says that Kubica is already driving a road car and is fully recovered, with only how competitive he can be back in an F1 car still to be determined.

"[He] has recovered; he can move and lift with all his fingers," Rossello told Trojce. "We can now think about getting him back as soon as possible into a car. Sorry, into a racing car, because he is already in a (road) car. His recovery is a miracle but the unknown thing is whether he will be able to be as fast."

Rossello admitted that another small operation would be required to further help mobility in Kubica's wrist, but that it won't affect his ability to operate an F1 steering wheel.

"We still have to do a small intervention for improving the mobility of his wrist, as with this type of accident the hand is never as flexible as it was before. Then it will take a lot of exercise. But he will be able to drive his formula one car again and press all the buttons - we're talking about a racing driver, not a pianist.

"I look at him and I can't stop wondering how well it has all gone; all the breaks and the wounds have healed, the only question is whether he will drive as he did before. He will have some limitations; remember that we considered amputation. But that (whether he is fast enough) will be assessed by the (F1) specialists. We have done our job perfectly."

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Anyone else think this "surgeon" misunderestimates the demands F1 racing places on the driver's hands?

[f1ea]

^^ yeah just read that. I think the same as you... for some part ,there is positivity, but on the other hand the doctor is mentioning the limitations... really, if somebody with limitations could drive an F1 car competitively... the others are simply doing a terrible just as it is.

Mixed signals is all i see. unfortunately.

[bud]

im not so much worried about his hands flexibility, but his muscle and core strength which is needed to be able to drive an F1 car lap after lap especially in the forearms.

[vlad]

Same here... I'm still not that sure that he could handle the entire race...

[Jabberwocky]

Zanardi came back from worse

[vlad]

But not in Formula 1... Remember what happened to Nannini?

[bigpat]

I too want to see Robert back. His grit and trying for pole at Monaco 2010 was the really defining moment for me....

I think that if he came back, that the teams can help him with the steering load, with different ratio racks, or by dialling in more assistance from the power steering.

However, I believe his biggest battle to overcome is the one in his head.......

[racechick]

Johnny Herbet came back from nearly loosing feet. And won in F1 . We'll never know if it spoilt his chances for doing better.

[bud]

But not in Formula 1... Remember what happened to Nannini?

Geez he came back to Indy with no legs wouldn't matter if it was F1, no legs is an awesome feet.

[What's Burning?]

But not in Formula 1... Remember what happened to Nannini?

Geez he came back to Indy with no legs wouldn't matter if it was F1, no legs is an awesome feet.

I can't believe you just did that.

I said early on that I doubted he's ever come back to the sport, the guy is lucky to be alive and anything more than that is a win for him personally, and a phenomenal success for modern medicine. What I don't want to see if the groans and disappointments if he doesn't come back to the sport because undoubtedly some will see that as some kind of failure, where IMO it's been nothing but a success.

Regardless of the outcome, he's won.