Kubica’s thumb ‘has recovered full movement

Robert Kubica is continuing to recover steadily from the career-threatening injuries he sustained in a pre-season rallying accident on the Ronde di Andora in northern Italy back in February – with movement having now returned to most of the Pole's fingers.

German publication Die Welt claims that even if Kubica's right arm will 'probably never recover entirely', the Lotus Renault GP star is able to move his right hand, fingers and arm. There were initial fears that the entire limb would need to be amputated. Now, the newspaper reports, only his 'middle finger still causes problems', whilst 'his thumb has recovered full movement'.

There have been rumors from Lotus Renault GP that the former Canadian Grand Prix-winner could return to participate in a Friday practice session to test the water towards the end of the F1 2011 campaign – although Kubica's manager Daniele Morelli has downplayed such a notion, insisting that 'if Robert comes back, he doesn't want gifts or kindly-meant offers'.

“If you've been through so much and given as much as Robert has suffered to come back, you only want to come back for one reason – to have the same goals as before," the Spaniard stressed. “The accident was bad luck, and a man of his caliber can shake it off – particularly as it had nothing to do with F1."