Kubica ''seriously'' injured at rally - report

Rome, Feb 6 (AFP) Formula One star Robert Kubica has beenseriously injured in a crash while heading to the start of theRonde di Andora rally in Liguria, Italy, the ANSA news agencyreported today.

The Lotus Renault GP driver from Poland was at the wheelof the Skoda Fabia he was to race in the rally when he leftthe road at high speed and crashed into a wall.

His co-driver, Jacub Gerber, is reported to have emergedfrom the wreck unhurt but Kubica remained inside.

Kubica is said to have been conscious when emergencyservices removed him from the vehicle.

He was then transferred by helicopter to the Santa Coronahospital in nearby Pietra Ligure, near Savona, suffering frommultiple fractures and internal trauma.

His condition is said to be serious and subsequentreports claimed he may be at risk of losing a hand that wascrushed in the crash.

The rally was temporarily suspended as Kubica''s car wascleared from the road.

It is not the first time the Pole has been involved in ahorror crash, after he hit a wall at 300kph during theCanadian Grand Prix in 2007.

Driving for Sauber, Kubica slid off the circuit andcrashed into a wall, before rebounding across the track in abarrel roll and hitting another barrier.

Kubica, however, was not seriously injured and afterbeing air-lifted to hospital for checks, he was found to havesustained nothing more serious than a sprained ankle andslight concussion.

He missed only one Grand Prix after the incident. (AFP)AT