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It’s funny how the more you think you know – the more you seemingly learn... As prior to Robert Kubica’s MONSTEROUS Rally Car crash in Genoa, Italy, over one-year ago now; having occurred on Feb 6, 2011 - prior to this SHOCK accident, I was only aware of his horrific looking Formula 1 shunt at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve aboard his BMW-Sauber way back in 2008 – in which I scribbled about in; Kubica Walks Away... Which ironically saw a fresh faced 19yr old German Wunderkin with the moniker of Master ‘Zebb, aka Sebastian Vettel being called up for his debutant race outing at Indianapolis for that year’s USGP as Kubicas substitute - whilst “The Krakow Kid” recuperated from a concussion...
And I’m guessing that Robert isn’t the first Formula 1 Driver to take part in Rallying - besides thee REAL Iceman; Err ‘Kimster, nee Kimi Räikkönen and his OOMPHLatt’s; Hya! Thinking what could go wrong in a Tin Top?
I first discovered the World Rally Championship (WRC) via the SPEED channel way back in 2004 whilst cheering madly for thee ‘Nordski Petter Solberg to win that season’s Drivers Title, which he did ever so narily over an up ‘N comer named Sebastian Loeb... Who’s since gone on the ultimate tear of winning the last eight WRC Drivers Crowns (championships) in-a-row...
Yet Rallying, like ALL forms of Motorsports is a violent sport which seems to have had its share of Star driver’s deaths occurring - with just a few WRC members listed below over the past decade.
Michael Park: “M-squared” Markko Martin’s Navigator - Sept 18, 2005 killed in Wales Rally GB; Age 39. (First WRC fatality since ’93)
Richard Burns – Nov 25, 2005; Age 34 dies from Cancer.
Colin McRae – Sept 15, 2007; Age 39 dies in Helicopter crash.
Thus I subsequently pilfered out that thee ‘Krakow Kid” was behind the wheel of a Skoda Fabia S2000 Rally Car that fateful day last February, and after my initial thoughts - where I seemed to be the only ‘Hack to scribble how much Kubica’s accident injuries made me immediately think of another ex-Formula 1 driver named Alessandro Nannini, who severed his hand in a Helicopter accident and never-ever raced again in F1!
Yet with more time to reflect, I’ve pondered what nobody seems to have wondered? As in were Kubica’s horrific injuries in anyway related to the type of Rally Car he was piloting, a Super 2000-spec vehicle, which I believe are much smaller then the previous WRC chassis, and hence, are they potentially more dangerous to driver’s health? And has the WRC simply dodged a bullet so far? Or was Robert’s accident simply due to striking a solitary wall at a high rate of speed which regardless of what type of Rally Car wouldn’t have mattered?
And like many in the Blogosphere, I truly wish to see the affable Polish F1 Star return to Grand Prix racing ‘Toot-sweet...
Yet, I fear that he’ll most likely either never return to thee Pinnacle ‘O Motorsport, or if he does, he’ll suffer the indignity of what Felipe Massa has since returning behind the wheel at la Scuderia after his FREAKISH accident at the Hungaroring in 2009...
Where the likeable Brazilian’s spirit was further CRUSHED by Scuderia Ferrari asking Felipe’s Engineer Rob snedly to inform Massa Massa
Which made it feel very ironic to hear ‘Hobbo, aka David Hobbs waxing on during the German GP two Sunday’s ago whilst alluding to the very same conclusions over Massa’s psyche being damaged from that infamous team order...
And with Kubica falling on ice and re-breaking his leg a few months ago whilst trying to rehabilitate himself, we’ll simply have to wait ‘N see if the Pole does ever return to F1? Not to mention, who would he drive for? As I fear Kubica will become another unfortunate Open Wheel Racing Star falling in the shadows of ‘Sandro and ‘Shorty, a.k.a. Nannini and Cristiano da Matta respectively, although Da Matta and Nannini, along with Alex Zanardi all did recover and further raced in Touring & Sports Cars; as although its overly cliché - at least they all did ultimately walk away!