Juan Manuel Correa is hopeful of making his return to Formula 2 in 2021 after making good progress in his recovery from injuries sustained at Spa last year.
Correa sustained severe injuries to his lungs and right leg in the multi-car accident at the start of last year’s F2 feature race which claimed the life of Anthoine Hubert.
Correa spent two weeks in a coma after the accident while he recovered from his respiratory injuries, but was able to then return home to the United States, where he has since focused on rehabilitation for his right leg.
Speaking in an interview on F2’s Instagram channel, Correa said that his recovery had been going “quite well”, and that he was now hopeful of making a return to the series next year.
“I’ve been recovering really quickly, pushing a lot with that racer mindset, always doing more than necessary, but it’s worked out well,” Correa said.
“I’m actually looking for a comeback next year, so earlier than we thought initially, but it’s looking good.
“I have still quite a few surgeries left to go, but the whole metal [frame] around my leg should be gone by the end of this year, which means I can jump in a car, maybe as early as December.”
Correa will return to Belgium this weekend as a guest of F2 to mark one year since the accident, and hoped the visit would provide some closure.
“I felt there was a way for me to kind of close the chapter, but more importantly to pay my tribute to Anthoine,” Correa said.
“I haven’t been able to do so properly from Miami. It’s just been something I had pending. I felt that coming out here this weekend, I got the invitation from F2, and I took it in a heartbeat.
“I’m happy to be here, I’m happy to see all the people from the paddock again. But it’s also going to be a very emotional weekend for me.”
Correa paid tribute to Hubert throughout the interview, revealing the Frenchman’s family had been in contact with his parents amid his recovery.
“They were texting my parents just days after the crash, asking how I was. They were quite worried about me,” Correa said.
“His girlfriend, Julie, came to visit me in the hospital in London while I was in a coma. I actually have a picture of me full of tubes and sensors everywhere, and she’s next to me. I think that really shows you the quality people they are, and why Anthoine was such a nice guy.
“He was a genuinely nice guy. He was a good friend, even though in racing, we don’t necessarily make friends with people we race against. He was an easy-going guy. He was so cool all the time, really positive.
“It’s hard for me to talk about him. Already driving here today, looking at the track, it gives me chills, and everything I do just reminds me of him. It’s still unbelievable what happened. It doesn’t seem real in a way.
“It just makes me sad, also for his family. I think a lot about them as well. I’m here to make a tribute to him, I’m here mostly for him this weekend, to kind of close the chapter and start looking forward.”
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