For those who aren’t aware, Robert Kubica nearly died several months prior to the event shown in this video. After spearing off the road during the Ronde di Andora rally in Febuary of 2011, the Pole’s arm was nearly severed when a piece of guardrail punctured the car.

Due to losing a serious amount of blood and sustaining nerve damage to his right hand, he had to sit out for the remainder of the 2011 F1 season, which he was supposed to run concurrently. When he was determined by doctors to not be ready for the following year, his F1 offers dried up and he set his sights on rally racing.

Kubica is a man who lives for motorsport, whether fenders are involved or not. Naturally, the skilled man found his way into the seat of a S12 WRC Impreza for this stunning romp through the Ronde Gomitolo di Lana outside the city of Biella. Interestingly, the name translates to “round ball of wool.” Italian makes even the mundane seem whimsical.

At high-speed, Kubica’s trust in the low-slung Impreza is breathtaking.

Amazingly, this was Kubica’s first time back in real competition post-crash, and somewhat less surprisingly, he won the event. He finished one minute ahead of the second-place driver, which is a good amount of time over a 22-mile stage. Kubica’s incredible commitment through the faster corners is something that simply has to be seen, and it makes quite clear where the pros and the talented amateurs differ.

Kubica’s charge in the Subaru is accompanied by an unusually-harsh exhaust note courtesy of equal-length headers. Instead of the usual burble the flat-four is known for, this motor shrieks and rasps in a way that sounds quite intimidating. That’s all well and good – it matches the driving.