"I had 42 fractures and from my toe to my elbow I was all broken": Former Ferrari prospect opens up on his life-changing crash

Former Ferrari prospect, Robert Kubica, had a life-threatening crash in 2011 during the first stage of the Ronde di Andora rally. He crashed into the barriers, which pierced into his cockpit, causing severe injuries. Recalling the incident, Kubica revealed having 42 fractures and countless surgeries.

Professional racing has always been a dangerous sport. On February 6, 2011, F1 driver Robert Kubica met with a near-fatal accident that changed his life completely. As a Renault driver, he was offered an opportunity to race in the Ronde di Andora rally with a Renault rally car.

However, on the opening stage, Kubica's car left the road and crashed into the barriers. The impact was powerful as the remains of the barriers pierced into the cockpit of Kubica's car and led to severe injuries.

The rescue team spent over an hour getting the driver out, which led to a lot of blood loss. He slipped into a coma and went through severe injuries and surgeries. In the latest podcast with Gurulandia, Robert Kubica recalled the tragic incident and said, via Planet F1:

"Honestly, I remember little of what happened because I was in a coma for so long. I arrived at the hospital with one and a half liters of blood, whereas a human body has six or seven. The right side of my body was all smashed up. I had 42 fractures, and from my toe to my elbow, I was all broken. For six or seven months I lost all feeling and I was not moving anything."

The incident left a deep scar on Kubica's career, as he lost an opportunity to make a successful career in Formula 1.

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Robert Kubica's Ferrari dreams crushed after near-death crash in Rally racing

Former Ferrari prospect, Robert Kubica (Image Source: Getty)

Robert Kubica's F1 career was two years old when he agreed to feature in Rally racing for Renault. However, prior to the brutal crash, he had signed a contract with Scuderia Ferrari. In an interview with Motorsport.com, he said, via Planet F1:

"Ferrari is my biggest regret. I should have moved to Maranello in 2012, but also much earlier, and not everyone knows this."

After the accident, the Polish driver took several months to recover and his Ferrari dream, unfortunately, couldn't materialize.

Meanwhile, Scuderia Ferrari has made changes to their driver's lineup for the 2025 season and their reserve unit. After Lewis Hamilton was inducted last month, the team announced the signing of Zhou Guanyu as a reserve driver.

The Chinese national is familiar with the Maranello culture, as he spent four years in their junior academy from 2015 to 2018.

Robert Kubica joined Alfa Romeo in 2022 before it was rebranded as Sauber in 2024. However, his contract with the team ended by the conclusion of the season, leaving him without a seat for the 2025 season. Hence, he reunited with his former team and will share reserve driver duties with Antonio Giovinazzi.