Gronholm hospitalized after accident
Marcus will remain in California for the weekend, resting with his family before making plans to return home to Finland; his recuperation requires that he does not compete in round four of the GRC scheduled to take place at the New Hampshire Speedway next weekend, aside from which his car requires significant attention before being competition-ready again.
For the moment, doctors are advising a period of good rest, after which Marcus will focus on returning to full physical fitness with appropriate training at home in Finland.
On his departure from hospital, Marcus said, “I was extremely frustrated to not be able to contest the X Games, more so because I believed my preparations were excellent. As Sébastien had come to race, I was extra hungry to perform – of course – and I went into the event with a really positive feeling, so yes, it was very annoying that it ended the way it did, but perhaps Sébastien will consider a rematch some day!"
The Finn continued by thanking those who not only helped him but also kept him in their thoughts. “My first thanks must of course go to the emergency teams and all the staff at the California Hospital. It is not until you need this kind of skill and care that you realize how brilliant the medical profession is, and I cannot praise them highly enough for fixing me up."
He continued, “And then I must say a heartfelt thanks to all the messages of support and goodwill that have in such numbers been truly unexpected, from close friends and family of course, but also from fans around the world. This kind of support has been amazing and has inspired my recovery, so I must extend to everyone my sincere thanks and gratitude. My family has been amazing. My children and my son-in-law were here in LA with me and haven’t left my side since the accident, and my wife has travelled out from Finland to be with me. I could not have asked any more from any of them, including Andreas (Eriksson) and his family."
Considering his future plans, Marcus said, “Of course discussion of the next race has been going on for sure, but it’s one step at a time for the moment. The first step is to get home and get fully fit, then I’ll go from there."
07/02/12 The 44-year-old is said to be in good spirits, but sources have indicated there were serious concerns for Gronholm.
"There's no doubt that Marcus was in a pretty serious condition when he came into hospital," said a source.
"He'd been unconscious and he'd experienced some serious forces on his body from that crash. The team in the hospital has monitored him throughout, but it's fair to say there was a lot of concern straight after the crash."
A spokesman for Gronholm said: "Marcus has made a significant improvement since he arrived in hospital with two days of positive reports from doctors. He's awake, talking to the team and joking about the fact that Sebastien [Loeb] won because he wasn't in the race.
"It's fair to say, he's pretty frustrated that he wasn't there to challenge Sebastien for the win."
07/01/12 Rallycross driver Marcus Gronholm sustained an accident during the X Games GRC seeding round yesterday in Los Angeles.
Marcus was taken to hospital in Los Angeles for assessment of his injuries. Attending doctors are pleased that Marcus is conscious, alert and talking and has full limb mobility. Following his initial assessment, doctors confirmed this morning that his condition has improved overnight following a night’s sleep and rest.
Marcus will remain in hospital for ongoing observation and further tests and is benefiting from the best acute medical care.
Further updates on Marcus’ condition will follow and in the meantime, the team wishes to thank everyone for their concern and best wishes.