planetf1.com

From the article: " An interesting fact is that the shift lever in the car is to be mounted on the left handlebar", which suggests his right arm is still problematical.

It's good that he can come back and try rallies and he might even get a 'For Old Time's Sake' run in an F1 car (a bit like Zanardi did to complete the 13 laps of Lausitzring), but he's never going to drive in an F1 race again.

From the article: " An interesting fact is that the shift lever in the car is to be mounted on the left handlebar", which suggests his right arm is still problematical.

It's good that he can come back and try rallies and he might even get a 'For Old Time's Sake' run in an F1 car (a bit like Zanardi did to complete the 13 laps of Lausitzring), but he's never going to drive in an F1 race again.

You never know...

Surely a 70% fit Kubica is a better bet than a 100% Narain...

Still think he's got a way to go, and I reckon that by doing rallying is his way of getting himself moving towards seeing whether he can return to the top level.

Kind of like how a footballer starts his time after injury by playing for the reserve team for a few games...

We'll see how this develops.

He's back!

AUTOSPORT understands that it is not yet certain whether his car, a Subaru Impreza WRC, will be ready in time for the two-day rally, but if it is not his comeback event will be the the Rally San Martino di Castorzza the weekend after.

According to Sky TV in Italy Bob is targeting a return to F1 in 2014, in 2012 WRC is the target apparently.

That would be 2013.

Kubica in F1 sooner than 2014?

Kubica now claims that he was misunderstood and his target is not 2014 but "as soon as possible" and he does not think about WRC but about F1...I am confused:

http://translate.google.com/translate?s ... omosc.html

he's 11 secs ahead of everybody after the first stage, and its a short stage as well. I did not expect him to have such a good pace straight away after 20 months

Photo of Robert's right arm:

http://twitpic.com/ast7yr

Some video footage... I keep hoping.
[url]
http://webtv.ivg.it/2012/09/09/robert-k ... a-polacco/

Strange question I suppose, but one i've been wondering about - is Rober still paid or sponsored? How has he been supporting himself during the recovery? Does he have private wealth? (I assume he had a large insurance payout as well).

I'd say that the difference between Alonso and Karthikeyan is less than 5% i.e. if you put Alonso and Karthikeyan in the same car they would be within 5% of each other on a regular basis. After all, Karthikeyan regularly gets within 7% of the pole sitter in each race despite being in an inferior car. And at the top, the margin is even less. So if Kubica came back at 98% of his previous level, and was put in this year's Ferrari, he probably wouldn't be any better than Massa is.

I know he had a great talent and was well liked, but people need to accept that F1 is done for him.

1, 2, 3, 4 - won! All stages by BIG margin I know they are amateurs but still...Robert is in his finest form - mentally. If only that hand!...But maybe they will find a solution for him...such talent can't be wasted outside F1

F1-comeback in 2014 is Kubica's wish

F1 | Turun Sanomat 09:55

F1-driver Robert Kubica is still dreaming of a comeback to the royal class in motorsport, as are his fans also.

Kubica has after about 20 surgeries and a long and demanding rehabilitation program got in such a good condition, that he is going to participate in his third rally in Italy next weekend.

Kubica's second rally in San Martino ended up in retirement a couple of weeks ago. Kubica went off the road twice with his Subaru WRC-car and couldn't finish the rally.

– I made rookie-mistakes on the slippery road, the 28-year old dare devil admitted.

He did however avoid injuries, which got thousands of Polish F1-fans to sigh with relief.

– I believe that Robert can still grab the F1-car's steering wheel with industrious hands, a 30-year old fan chats in a café in Warsaw center.

The Italian surgeon Igor Rossello, who has performed many difficult surgeries on Kubica, guesses that his patient's right hand works only 50 %.

A lot about the hand's condition can be told by how the Polish driver writes autographs with his left hand.

– Unfortunately not even an efficient and long rehabilitation can heal Kubica's hand completely, Rossello guessed in an interview with Super Express.

Rossello emphasizes that Kubica's elbow joint, which is supported by an artificial limb, has much more room to steer a rally car than a cramped F1-car.

– At this moment it's difficult to predict whether Robert can fully take part in a F1-race, the surgeon says.

Kubica has however already accepted that his arm might in the worst case scenario heal only up to 80 %.

– I still dream about a comeback to F1-tracks maybe already in year 2014. I'm prepared to go through several surgical operations, Kubica said.

Turun Sanomat, Varsova

MATTI HOVISEPPÄ

http://www.ts.fi/moottoriurheilu/f1/394 ... n+haaveena