ROBERT Kubica will make a remarkable return to Formula One next season driving for Williams.
Eight years after sustaining career-threatening injuries in a crash in Italy while competing in a rally, the Polish driver's chance to resurrect his F1 career was confirmed this morning.
Formula One and Williams both tweeted the announcement, confirming the 33 year old will be back more than eight years since his last race.
He will race alongside British rookie, George Russell in 2019 after proving his fitness to Williams after partially severing his arm in the rally smash.
Kubica has been the team’s reserve driver this season and only narrowly missed out on a seat to Russian Sergey Sirotkin, who will make way.
And the returning driver is clearly delighted to get behind the wheel and compete in F1 again.
He said: "It has been a challenging journey to make it back to the Formula 1 grid, but what seemed almost impossible is now beginning to feel possible, as I am excited to be able to say that I will be on the Formula 1 grid in 2019.
"For sure, it has been a long road to get to this point, but as that challenge now comes to an end with this announcement, a new challenge begins working with Williams on track.
"Being back on the F1 grid next season will be one of the greatest achievements of my life, and I’m sure with hard work and commitment we will be able to help motivate the team to achieve good things together.
"Thank you again to everyone who has supported me and believed in me. I will finally be back on the grid behind the wheel of an F1 car, and I cannot wait to get back racing."
The Pole crashed during the Ronde di Andora rally, his car smashing into the crash barrier at high speed.
Although his co-driver was unscathed, the barrier penetrated the car's cockpit and hit the F1 star.
Kubica was trapped for more than an hour inside the mangled car before finally being pulled out and air-lifted to hospital.
He underwent a seven-hour operation to save his right hand after a partial amputation of his forearm and then had two further lengthy surgeries to repair leg, shoulder and arm fractures.
At least 4 people hospitalised in Macau F3 crash where Sophia Floersch's car flies metres into air
He was fortunate to survive but Kubica admitted in 2013 he feared he may never return to the sport he loved.
But after an impressive recovery, the Pole returned to competitive rally racing less than 18 months after the crash despite also breaking his leg during that time after slipping on ice.
He initially struggled to deal with the quick wrist movements of turning the steering wheel in an F1 car but came through testing and is now, sensationally, ready to race at the elite level once again.
Lewis Hamilton will look to finish the year with another win at the season-ending race in Abu Dhabi this weekend despite wrapping up a fifth world championship in Mexico last month.
