Wilks continues recovery in hospital

Guy Wilks remains in hospital in Oristano following his crash on Rally d’Italia-Sardegna yesterday.

Wilks, 29, suffered two fractured vertebrae when his Škoda UK Motorsport-run Fabia left the road at high speed on the opening stage of the fifth round of the Intercontinental Rally Challenge.

Škoda UK’s Cathie Sleigh said: “Guy’s resting and is as comfortable as he can be although he’d obviously like to be in the car today if he could. The doctors and nurses in hospital are taking very good care of him in a proper orthopaedic ward and are being very kind to him, even teaching him Italian and getting a longer bed for him [because he’s six feet two inches tall].”

Sleigh said it was still too early to say when Wilks would return to action, adding: “His recovery will take as long as it needs to. When he gets back to the UK he will see his own doctor and a back specialist and only then will we have a better idea of his recovery prognosis.”

Sleigh also expressed her thanks to the various people who had helped Wilks following his crash. “So many people have been so wonderful and I have to really say thank you to them,” she said. “They even arranged a police escort to complete his journey to hospital after the helicopter flight.”

Wilks has been visited by his mechanics and engineers since the crash. Co-driver Phil Pugh, who was uninjured in the accident, was by his bedside this morning.