12 Feb 2011

Kubica confident he will return to F1 this year

8:17 am on 12 February 2011

Renault driver Robert Kubica has said he must return to Formula One this year after a career-threatening rally crash and that he will be a better driver when he does.

However the Pole recognised that he faced a tougher challenge than when he broke his arm in a road accident eight years ago.

Kubica said in a bedside interview at his Italian hospital that he could feel the fingers in his right hand and he

wants to get back on the track stronger than ever.

Doctors have said it could take Kubica a year to recover fully from an accident that left him with serious hand, arm and leg injuries.

Renault have accepted he will be out for at least three months.

Kubica suffered heavy blood loss and was in surgery for seven hours on Monday as two teams of surgeons worked to save his right hand.

He was due to undergo more hours of surgery to fix broken bones on Saturday.