LEFEBVRE TARGETS QUICK RALLY RETURN
French driver Stephane Lefebvre has set his sights on returning to competition before the end of the year following his shocking Rally Germany crash.
While the Citroen man has left hospital and is now recovering at home, his co-driver Gabin Moreau has undergone a second operation and remains in hospital in Strasbourg.
The pair were injured when their DS 3 WRC hit a series of hinkelsteins and then a tree – the cars datalogger revealed an impact speed of 103mph. The engine was ripped from the car in the accident and Lefebvre suffered broken ribs and a burst lung, while Moreau was left with a broken left hand and foot and fractured right tibia.
Lefebvre said: “When my lower back is strong enough again, I’ll be able to start working on specific physiotherapy sessions with Citroen Racing’s osteopath. I hope to be in Corsica just to observe the event. That will allow me to spend time with the team before considering when I’ll be back in action at a rally. The aim is to drive competitively again before the end of the season.
“Going back home was a key step for me. I stopped using the crutches to walk very quickly and can now get around easily enough, even though I still have some pain in my ribs. To keep myself busy, I took out a cable TV subscription and I’ve been spending time on a driving simulator.”
Moreau is hoping to be moved to a recovery centre in the near future. He added: “My progress has been quick since the operation, which involved removing the pins that had been put in place in Germany. Obviously, I can’t put any weight on my foot as yet, but I have been able to begin moving around whilst taking the right precautions. As soon as I’m sufficiently independent again, I’ll be able to spend a few days at home. After that, I’ll continue my recovery in a specialist centre. The whole process will take several weeks, so it’ll probably take a bit longer than Stephane, but we are both determined to start working together again as soon as possible.”