Kubica leaves hospital 11 weeks after crash

Polish Formula One driver Robert Kubica has left the hospital 11 weeks after suffering severe injuries during a rally crash.

The Santa Corona hospital in the northern Italian town of Pietra Ligure announced the move late Saturday, saying "his condition is good and the (driver) will begin a new phase of rehabilitation outside of the hospital."

After the Feb. 6 accident, Kubica underwent seven hours of surgery to save his right hand before operations on his shoulder, leg and elbow.

He has been replaced by German driver Nick Heidfeld on the Renault team this season.

The hospital added that Kubica will come back for visits to be monitored by the doctors who treated him.

Kubica is expected to spend a short time at his home in Monaco, then move to Tuscany to continue rehabilitation with physician Riccardo Ceccarelli.

Answering questions from fans last week, Kubica said he's starting to feel a lot better and that his strength and weight are increasing each day.

There were fears that the 26-year-old driver may never race again, as he could have lost his right hand. But he is optimistic that his hand will continue to improve.

"The mobility of my hand is limited but this is pretty normal in this kind of situation, because the connected arm muscles are still very weak," he said last week. "I'll head to my home in Monaco for a short period of rest. Then I'll move to Dr. Ceccarelli's facilities in Italy, where I will start a deep rehabilitation program and a preliminary soft training program."