Robert Kubica’s mega crash in 2007 at the Grand Prix of Canada is one of the most spectacular accidents of the past decades in Formula 1. It was only year later that the long-time BMW engine sports director Dr. Mario Theissen reveals what the first words of Cubica were after his horror accident that could have cost him life.
The Montreal race of June 10, 2007 has remained an unforgettable F1 Grand Prix in several ways. Not only that a certain Lewis Hamilton celebrated his first of 103 racing victories in the premier class of motorsport to date.
Above all, the pictures of the spectacular accident of Robert Kubica, which was one of the largest Formula 1 talents at the time and was at the start for the German BMW Sauber team.
After a collision with the Toyota driver and then teammate from Ralf Schumacher, Jarno Trulli, the pole initially hit hard in the wall and lost three bikes. Then his car overturned, slide over the route for several seconds and only came to a standstill on the guardrail at the other end of the straight.
Theissen: “The most terrible accident I’ve ever seen”
As with a miracle, the then 23-year-old only suffered a concussion and a bricked up ankle.
“I was not sure whether such a violent accident could be survived,” reported the then BMW Motor sports director Dr. Mario Theissen in the Formula 1 podcast “Beyond the Grid” of his experiences. Theissen led BMW’s complete Formula 1 project from 1999 to 2009 and was also on site in Montreal that day.
“It was the most terrible accident I have ever seen,” the now 70-year-old confessed.
“We didn’t get a lot of reliable information. Robert was initially taken to the Medical and then to the hospital,” said the BMW boss at the time about the most difficult day of his Formula 1 career.
Vettel debut as a Kubica replacement in Formula 1
The situation then described the situation as unforgettable when he saw his seriously accidented driver for the first time: “Immediately after the race we hurried to the hospital. We met Robert with full consciousness and without obvious serious injuries. He was upright and asked: ‘Can I drive in Indianapolis next weekend?'”
A happy ending of a terrible accident that Robert Kubica did not stay away from the cockpit for long. Just three weeks later, he was sitting in his BMW-Sauber at the Grand Prix of France and finished fourth with fourth place.
Kubica only had to stop a race – the U.S.’s Grand Prix in Indianapolis.. As a replacement driver, a certain Sebastian Vettel was allowed to get involved in the concert of the big ones for the first time. And convinced as a Kubica representative with a strong eighth place.