Alex Albon suffered from respiratory failure and was on a ventilator following complications from laparoscopic surgery; watch Albon’s return to Singapore GP live on Sky Sports F1, starting with Friday practice at 10:30am; Race Sunday at 1pm
By PA Sport
Last updated: 09/29/22 4:26 pm
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Williams’ driver, Alex Albon, admitted he was a bit surprised he recovered in time for the Singapore Grand Prix after surgical complications left him in a coma.
Williams’ driver, Alex Albon, admitted he was a bit surprised he recovered in time for the Singapore Grand Prix after surgical complications left him in a coma.
Alex Albon has revealed doctors forced him to shut down the Italian Grand Prix after he suddenly woke up from a coma.
The London-born Williams driver, 26, suffered from respiratory failure and was on a ventilator following complications from laparoscopic surgery.
Speaking for the first time about his difficult challenge, Albon, who will return to the Formula 1 cockpit in Singapore on Friday, said: “I had to be sedated for two to three days, but in the end it was , my lungs cleared up within 12 hours.
“I woke up pretty much 30 minutes before the start of the race [in Monza]. It was frustrating to watch, and the heart rate went up a bit. They kept an eye on me and they told me they had to turn it off. “
Albon was dropped from the race in Italy because of appendicitis and was transported to the nearby San Gerardo hospital for treatment.
He underwent surgery on Saturday, but then was in intensive care and needed breathing assistance. He was put off mechanical ventilation the next day before being given the green light to leave the hospital and return home to Monaco 48 hours later.
Albon prepares to return to racing in Singapore
“Luckily I was pretty drunk so I don’t remember much about it,” he added.
“I just clearly remember going into surgery. It was a relatively simple procedure, taking only a few hours to operate. But obviously you don’t understand the time when you’re sedated.
“When I woke up, I thought the procedure was done, and they said, ‘No, you’ve actually been through a bit more than that.
“It wasn’t a big deal for me, my family went to the race more, and obviously they were shocked.”
Albon will engage in practice with the aim of competing for 61 Grand Prix laps on Sunday – although Singapore’s wet weather creates one of the toughest physical challenges of the season.
Albon continued: “It’s quite difficult because you’re basically waiting for your lungs to recover. And at the same time your body can’t move as well as it should.
“You can’t just go back to normal training, you have to slowly build it up. We really started pushing it last Monday. I treat training and recovery like a 9-versus-worker job. 5.
“Things are getting better day by day. To be honest, we don’t think Singapore is being beaten, but given the pace of recovery, it certainly becomes possible.
“I feel like I’m ready, and I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t think I could race.”
