For the first time since his Aug. 19 incident at Pocono Raceway, Robert Wickens shared a message with his fans Sunday on Twitter prior to the final race of the Verizon IndyCar Series season.
“It’s obviously been a long time since I’ve posted anything on social media,” Wickens said in the video. “I just wanted to say all of your kind words and all of your positivity has meant the absolute world to me and my family. I’m in rehab now, trying to get back to 100 percent as quickly as possible.
“I don’t know what the future holds for me. It’s going to be a very long road to recovery, and all I can is I’m going to promise you guys I’m going to work as hard as possible and train as hard as possible to make sure I’m back in a race car as quickly as possible. That’s all I can say for now.”
Wickens also said he’d be watching the INDYCAR Grand Prix of Sonoma on television, and he wished everyone luck. Thanks to four podium and 10 top-10 finishes, he locked up the Sunoco Rookie of the Year award despite missing the final three races of the year.
The severity of the spinal cord injury Wickens sustained in the incident remains indeterminate and under evaluation. In a release Sept. 6, Schmidt Peterson Motorsports said physicians stress it could take weeks or months for the full effects of the injury to be known. Wickens also sustained fractures in both legs, both hands, his right forearm, elbow and in four ribs.
“We want to thank everyone for the outpouring of love, prayers and positive energy that has been sent our way since Robert’s accident,” the Wickens family said in a statement then. “We are blown away by the strength of this INDYCAR community and the support within it. While Robert’s recovery and rehabilitation continue over the coming weeks and months, your loving messages will certainly be a source of encouragement for him.”
Watch Wickens' video post on Twitter here: