Canadian Grand Prix - Kubica survives huuuuge crash!

[Anth]

BMW Sauber driver Robert Kubica was released from hospital on Monday after escaping serious injury in a horrific crash at the Canadian Grand Prix.

The 22-year-old Pole lost control as he tried to overtake Toyota's Jarno Trulli at 180mph, his car lifting off the ground before hitting a wall head-on.

Kubica emerged with only slight concussion and a sprained ankle.

"I feel very good," he said. "I was very lucky - big accident, but fortunately, nothing hurt."

Kubica said he remembered "nearly everything" about the crash.

He underwent intensive CT-scans and other checks at the Sacre Coeur Hospital in Montreal and was given the all-clear by doctors, driving himself away in a BMW X5.

Kubica hopes to be cleared to race in next weekend's US Grand Prix at Indianapolis, although he will have to undergo a standard check by the FIA Medical Delegate on Thursday.

"I think he wouldn't have survived something like this 10 years ago," said BMW motorsport boss Mario Theissen.

"To get a driver back unhurt after such a huge accident is fantastic."

The fact that Kubica emerged relatively unscathed is all the more remarkable as photographs show that the front of the chassis had been ripped off in the initial impact, exposing the driver's feet.

German test driver Sebastian Vettel is BMW's official reserve driver if Kubica is not declared fit to race in Indianapolis.

BBC Sport Link

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When you see the crash, you wonder how he got out alive, let alone with only concussion and a sprained ankle! As was said in the article, 10 years ago Kubica would have been dead from that kind of crash. However, in the past 10 years, safety has become one of the big things with science playing a big role. The HANS device is now a required piece of kit and it undoubtedly saved Kubica's neck - you would have expected him to have broken it in that crash!

Another thing is people knowing how crashes "work" and being able to design cars to "crash properly". By that, I mean break up safely and keep the cockpit intact. This is exactly what happened with Kubica - the car pretty much exploded as parts broke away, leaving the cockpit in one piece and thus saving Kubica.

Youtube crash link

[AT3Weins]

Definately a nasty wreck and it shows just how much safety is put into race cars.

[Anth]

It does! Looks like I know what one of my lectures will be about next year - that crash (we've already had one about the HANS device).

Joys of doing a course where you design these things