Robert Kubica injured in rally crash

The Pole was participating in the Ronde di Andorra rally in Italy on Sunday, when he was involved in a high-speed accident. According to Renault, Kubica suffered multiple fractures to his right arm, leg and hand and was trapped in the car for about an hour before he was extracted and air-lifted to a hospital where he underwent surgery. The Pole could potentially miss out on the 2011 Formula One season which begins on March 13 in Bahrain.

An update from the hospital reported that Kubica was out of danger but it was too early to determine a recovery date for Kubica. Professor Mario Igor Rossello, Director for the Regional Centre of Hand Surgery at San Paolo Hospital in Savona and the surgeon who operated on Kubica, said, "It has been a very important and difficult operation. Robert Kubica's right forearm was cut in two places, with significant lesions to the bones and the tendons. We did our best to rebuild the functions of the forearm. It took seven doctors, split into two teams and a total of seven hours to complete the operation. One team was the emergency task force from the hospital of San Paolo (Savona) that is normally appointed to treat this sort of injury, while the other team came from the orthopaedic department of the Santa Corona Hospital (Pietra Ligure). At the end of the operation, Robert's hand was well vascularised and warm, which is encouraging. Following the surgery, Robert Kubica will remain under permanent monitoring overnight because his condition remains serious."

Eric Boullier, Team Principal and Managing Director of Lotus Renault GP, said, "The news of Robert's accident came as a real shock to the whole team. All of us, at Lotus Renault GP, wish him a quick recovery. We have been really impressed with the way the doctors looked after him today and we would like to thank the whole team of the Santa Corona Hospital for their professional approach and dedication. I will be traveling to Italy tomorrow, along with Vitaly Petrov, in order to see Robert and tell him that we are impatiently waiting for his return."

Renault is expected to name a replacement for Kubica soon for the upcoming season, with current reserve drivers Bruno Senna or Romain Grosjean favourite to take the seat for the short term. Both drivers are set to stand in for the Pole for pre-season testing later this week, although Renault could potentially call on a more experienced driver should Kubica be ruled out of action for the long term.