OUCH!!! F1 driver likely out for the season

[Northwoods]

Robert Kubica crashes a rally car in Italy.  Hit a guardrail that penetrated the car. 

Initial report

Initial statement from Lotus Renault

Follow up statement from Lotus Renault

Report on battle to save drivers hand

[Hawkmoon]

I'd say he's out for at least the season.

"That's gotta hurt."

[French G.]

Kubica is a talented driver and I hope he gets well. That said, like many young drivers there has not been enough room in the cockpit for him and his massive ego. He takes chances in F1 that are not acceptable. Sometimes getting hurt can turn a good hands and feet driver into a mature great driver who drives within themselves.

[Dannyboy]

He takes chances in F1 that are not acceptable.

Such as?

[griz]

I was under the impression he was pretty good and dependable.  I don't remember too many mistakes he made and most of his crashes were not his fault.  The terrible crash two or three years where the car disintegrated was pretty scary.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MZqBbLyp6oo&safety_mode=true&persist_safety_mode=1

[Dannyboy]

I was under the impression he was pretty good and dependable.  I don't remember too many mistakes he made and most of his crashes were not his fault.  The terrible crash two or three years where the car disintegrated was pretty scary.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MZqBbLyp6oo&safety_mode=true&persist_safety_mode=1

I was in the Hairpin when that happened.  I could have sworn that he was dead.  Scariest thing I have ever seen...and not his fault.  Jarno Trulli ran him onto the grass just before the overpass there and he was just along for the ride after that.

[Doggy Daddy]

I was in the Hairpin when that happened.

Driving or watching?

DD

[French G.]

Such as?

My impression watching him drive is that he is not in full control of his aggression. Then again, after seeing the Schumacher/Barichello pit exit deal this year, maybe nobody is. You want a top race car driver to be aggressive no doubt but it seems to me that far too many of the current crop are not duly respectful for the position of immense fortune they find themselves in. You would think that the Montreal crash would have made him more cautious, but I guess with great safety equipment comes a great sense of invunerability. I wouldn't say that the crash at Montreal was his fault except he *arrogantly* maintained an untenable position after Trulli asserted himself in an asinine manner. Live to fight another day and tuck in, let him have the line. Yeah, I agree that Trulli pretty much tried to kill him. Was Trulli thinking that? Probably not. Should he have been found back in the pits and beaten to the point of hospitalization? Probably. Way too much aggression without thought of consequence is the general state of many forms of motorsport. I've been that guy stuck on the outside because "He's not gonna beat me." Lemme tell you how that worked out, it hurt, never did find all the parts that flew off the car.

[Dannyboy]

Driving or watching?

DD

Watching...unfortunately.

[Hawkmoon]

I've been that guy stuck on the outside because "He's not gonna beat me." Lemme tell you how that worked out, it hurt, never did find all the parts that flew off the car.

On the outside going around a corner/curve is generally not the ideal place to be playing "He's not going to beat me."

One other not ideal pace for that mentality is at the end of the main straight, diving into the turn ...

If the other guy has the line ... tuck in behind him, follow along, and wait for him to make a mistake. Unless your car is seriously better through the un-straight parts of the course.