Kubica surgery declared a success

Robert Kubica is to remain in intensive care for another few days following a further eight hours of surgery today.

The latest operation at the Santa Corona hospital in Petra Ligure was to repair a complex fracture to his elbow.

Kubica has now endured a total of 24 hours of surgery in the wake of suffering multiple fractures to his arm and leg and a partially severed right hand in a crash on the Ronde di Andora rally 10 days ago.

The latest statement from Kubica’s Renault team confirmed today’s operation was carried out “in order to stabilise and reconstruct the damaged fragments of the delicate joint structure.”

It added: “At the end of the surgery the doctors were pleased with the outcome, with the procedure being completed successfully.

“Robert will remain in intensive care for a few days as he recovers from this latest operation.”

The update comes on the day Renault confirmed Nick Heidfeld as the Pole’s replacement for the foreseeable future.

Although Kubica has spoken of his desire to return to action before the end of the year, Red Bull team principal Christian Horner has urged him to take his time.

That is despite watching Mark Webber make a rapid recovery prior to the start of the 2009 season after suffering a compound fracture of a leg following a cycling accident in November 2008.

Appreciating the injuries are significantly different, Horner said: “It’s a great shame. The most important thing for Robert is that he sets realistic targets for himself.

“Mark pushed himself to an extreme and got himself back in a car very quickly. Robert’s injuries are different, some more straightforward like his leg injury, but obviously the complication is with the wrist.

“He mustn’t put too much pressure on himself. He is an immensely talented driver, and there will be a seat waiting for him.

“He is an exciting driver, good for Formula One, and it will be great to see him come back in his own time.

“The wonders that can be achieved these days are quite phenomenal, and hopefully he will make a full and healthy recovery.”

Stirling Moss said he believed the absence of Kubica this year was “a tremendous loss for Formula One, a tragedy”.

Moss has defended Kubica after criticism that followed his accident as many people questioned why he was competing in a rallying event so near to the start of the new F1 season.

The 81-year-old’s own F1 career was ended in 1962 after a crash in a different motor event at Goodwood that left him in a coma for a month, and with his body partially paralysed for six months.

“People say you shouldn’t do this, shouldn’t do that, well I must say I don’t agree. A driver should drive what the hell he likes, when he likes, where he likes,” said Moss, who once competed in 62 races in a year.

“That’s what driving is about, so to say he was wrong doing it is entirely out of place. My career ended in a fairly mediocre race, not a terribly important one, but it is a dangerous and difficult sport and so they all matter.”