Robert Kubica can barely use the right arm he cradles in his left. But a fortnight today in Melbourne, he will start the Australian Grand Prix and complete one of the most remarkable comebacks in the history of sport. It is eight years since the Pole was robbed of the best seasons of his career by the accident that might have cost him his life. On February 6, 2011, during the first stage of the Ronde di Andora rally, his Skoda Fabia left the road at high speed near San Sebastiano church in Testico, northern Italy. The crash barrier pierced the cockpit and left him with a partially severed right forearm and numerous fractures to the right elbow, shoulder and leg, as well as blood loss. Robert Kubica set to complete one of the most remarkable comebacks in the history of sport Two teams of doctors performed emergency surgery to save him. In all, he has been operated on more than 20 times. His co-driver was unscathed. Kubica, who was taking part in the rally for fun, was rated by Lewis Hamilton the best of his contemporaries — Kubica, now 34, is the older by a month. By the time of the accident, Hamilton had won just one of his five world titles, Sebastian Vettel one of his four. How much might Kubica have achieved by now, not least if Ferrari had followed through on the pre-agreement he signed to compete for them in 2012? The paddles on Kubica’s steering wheel (above) have been switched from right to left Kubica won one race and reached the podium 12 times but more tellingly revealed his ability at BMW Sauber and then Renault with exceptional qualifying laps on tracks that place a premium on a driver’s skill. Lying on his hospital bed in 2011, he could not remotely flex his fingers, yet we find him in Barcelona waiting his turn to test the Williams car he will be racing 70 per cent left-handed. He used to shave with his right hand. Not now. He used to write with his right hand. No longer. Williams promoted him to a race seat alongside British rookie George Russell this season ‘One positive thing about all this is that I learned how powerful the brain is,’ he says. ‘Often limitations can stem from the mind rather than your physical aspect. You cannot overcome anything if your body sets your limitations. You have to open up your mind and adapt. ‘For living and for driving it would be easier if I had not had the accident. I do not have the same comfort as before but I’m working hard to keep the limitation to a minimum. ‘I never thought definitely I would be back in Formula One or that definitely I wouldn’t. I never shut the door or knowingly kept it open. Realistically the percentage of chance was small. It was nearly impossible.’ Once sufficiently recovered, he tried out a DTM touring car at Valencia, the track on which he had last driven in Formula One during testing a few days before the accident. The crash barrier pierced the cockpit and left him with a partially severed right forearm ‘I enjoyed being on the circuit when I was focused on my work,’ he says. ‘I was very fast. But I didn’t like the feelings I had when I got back to my hotel — not at all. You go to bed and you think. That is why I went back to rallying instead, competing in the world championship for three years. ‘It was too hard to be on a Formula One track. I was not ready for that. It opened the pain. Actually, I was upset I was fast because, in some ways, it would have been easier for me if I was one second off the pace and could say, “That’s it, I had my career”. I could have helped young drivers or found something within motorsport that would give me satisfaction. ‘For a long period it was hard for me even to watch Formula One. But rallying kept my mind busy. You survive by making one step at a time, being realistic in your targets, thinking about the near future not three months or a year ahead.’ By 2017, Kubica was psychologically ready for a return to the grand prix environment and tested for Renault, then Williams, where he spent last season as reserve driver. They were impressed enough to promote him to a race seat alongside British rookie George Russell. Two teams of doctors performed emergency surgery to save him following the crash in 2011 The paddles on Kubica’s steering wheel have been switched from right to left with his right hand offering little more than friction as he turns the wheel. He wedges it there, unable to grip in a conventional manner. He exerts more pressure with his shoulder to compensate for his weak arm. Racers are not made like the rest of us and this is why Kubica is back despite that accident. He is brave, inspiring too, but will part of him be nervous, frightened even, to race again? ‘No,’ he says. ‘But there will be things you cannot anticipate. Will I be better? I don’t know. Possibly. I have more experience as a person because I’m older and have been through difficult situations. ‘On the other side, I have not been racing for a long time. I’m like a new young driver. That does not worry me. To be out for eight years is not ideal but to be back is better. I have the knowledge from the past. I have done it before and that is why I’m pretty confident.’ All rights reserved for this news site dailymail and under his responsibility