Kubica emerges unscathed from horror crash
MONTREAL: Poland's Robert Kubica has amazingly emerged unscathed after an enormous 300kph crash during Sunday's Canadian Grand Prix.
Kubica clipped the Toyota of Italian Jarno Trulli causing his BMW Sauber car to slide off the circuit and crash into a wall, before rebounding across the track in a barrel roll and hitting another barrier.
Though all at the track feared the worst, Kubica was not seriously injured and after being airlifted to hospital for checks, he was found to have sustained nothing more serious than a sprained ankle and a slight concussion, he was released yesterday.
Robert Kubica crashes during the Canadian F1 Grand Prix in Montreal on Sunday. Reuters |
Reportedly his first question to doctors in hospital on Sunday was: "Can I race in Indianapolis next Sunday?"
Though Sunday may be a little too soon, that Kubica is even considering such a hasty return is testament to the safety standards of Formula One.
BMW motorsport boss Mario Theissen, who has said he will wait until Thursday to decide whether or not Kubica can race at the American Grand Prix in Indianapolis, was clearly relieved to see his driver escape unhurt.
"I think he wouldn't have survived something like this 10 years ago," said Theissen.
"To get a driver back unhurt after such a huge accident is fantastic."
German driver Alex Wurz celebrated the tenth anniversary of his introduction to Formula One with a superb drive to finish third in the race.
Wurz grabbed his first podium finish of the season, finishing behind only winner Lewis Hamilton of McLaren and Nick Heidfeld of BMW, and he would have been forgiven for revelling in his moment of glory.
But instead the popular veteran used the opportunity to praise Formula One's safety standards and make a point about how they could be applied more widely.
Speaking of the protection that saved Kubica from injury Wurz said: "I wish that would be the case for everybody in the world."
"Ok we are all pleased that Robert is fine. But at the same time I hope what Formula One achieves in terms of safety standards will be one day translated to the street.
"We have 1,049 people dying in traffic accidents every day around the world and that is too many. So I think an accident like Robert's shows how much safer cars can be and what you can get away with."
AFP
(China Daily 06/13/2007 page24)
