Correa ‘grateful to be here, be alive’

Michelle Foster
Juan Manuel Correa

Juan Manuel Correa

Juan Manuel Correa, speaking via video for the first time since his horror F2 crash, has sent his “deepest condolences” to Anthoine Hubert’s family.

Correa and Hubert crashed on the second lap of the Formula 2 feature race at the Spa-Francorchamps circuit.

While Correa suffered severe leg injuries, Hubert did not survive.

20-year-old Correa has since undergone a massive operation on his lower right leg having opted against amputation.

“It’s been a very rough five weeks since the accident,” he said via Instagram.

“Obviously, I’ve never said it publicly but I want to give my deepest condolences to the Hubert family.

“It’s been such a shock to everyone that such an accident happened. You never really think something like that can happen and especially not to you, until it does.

“I’m just grateful to be here even though obviously I have a long road of recovery and it’s still uncertain if I will ever recover to 100 percent.

“I am very grateful to be alive, and very grateful to the people who have been with me the past five weeks.”

“I’m very grateful to my family and for the support over the past few weeks. Without them, I would not have made it.

“This has changed my life and how I see things and the way I think about life and everything in general.

“It has been a life-changing experience and I want to thank all the support and messages from people I don’t know personally.

“I’ve read almost all of them, spending all day reading and trying to answer as many as possible.”

Correa revealed that it could be 10 months to a year before he knows the outcome of the leg operation.

“It is what it is,” he added.

“I have accepted what happened and I can only be positive now and work as hard as possible for the fastest recovery possible and the best recovery as well.

“The plan will be to have another surgery next Monday and that should be the last surgery here in London.

“And after that, beginning of November, I should be travelling to Miami to see my siblings and to start my full on recovery.

“This should last, according to the doctors here, they’re expecting it to last 10 months to a year before I can really tell how the right foot really is.

“At the moment I have a metal frame that doesn’t let me move the foot at all so it’s just healing. That will be there for at least eight to 10 months.

“We will see what happens but I’m positive, there’s nothing else to do.

“I can either me here and feel sorry for myself and be depressed or I can just get on with it and be positive and do the best I can for the recovery.”

Follow us on Twitter @Planet_F1 and like our Facebook page.