Adrian Newey, F1 engineering legend, credits Bernie Ecclestone and Slavica for pivotal help following a severe bike accident. Their swift action led to his miraculous recovery from a life-threatening skull fracture.
Adrian Newey revealed how former F1 boss Bernie Ecclestone and his ex-wife Slavica assisted him after he suffered a skull fracture in a bike accident.
Newey sustained multiple skull fractures during an accident in Croatia in the summer of 2021. His wife Amanda later wrote that his recovery was “simply miraculous,” expressing that she nearly lost the love of her life.
Minimizing the incident himself, Newey referred to the accident as “particularly stupid” in hindsight, but his connections with Ecclestone proved crucial for quick treatment.
“All accidents are stupid, but this one was particularly so. What it showed, though, is how important the people around you are.”
“So, I ended up with a skull fracture, and fortunately, Amanda, my wife, and I were with Bernie and Fabia Ecclestone in the days before.”
“I wasn’t in great shape. Amanda called Bernie and said, ‘Things aren’t looking good. We need to get him admitted somewhere good, and fast.'”
Newey’s Dramatic Recovery After Bike Accident
“Then Bernie offered his boat. His ex [Slavica] is Croatian, we were in Croatia, so he called his ex, who called the prime minister, who called the head of neurosurgery, who was on vacation in Bosnia or something, but the wheels started turning to get me admitted very quickly.”
“So, I was admitted to this Croatian hospital in Split. As a tourist in Split, there’s a real Italian Mediterranean atmosphere, very glamorous, but the hospital felt like something out of Stalingrad. It’s a bit 1960s, with all these porcelain tiles smelling of disinfectant.”
“Three doctors came to my bed, probably the anesthetist, the maxillofacial specialist, and the neurosurgeon, all quite young. One of them, who spoke reasonable English, said, ‘As you know, you’ve fractured your skull and we need to operate very quickly otherwise you might lose the use of your eye.'”
“I asked, ‘Okay, what does the operation involve?'”
“‘Oh, we cut and place and everything will be perfect.'”
“‘Okay, and what’s the risk of eye damage during the operation?’ – ‘Oh, no risk at all.'”
“‘Alright, and what about the risk of brain damage during the operation?’ They replied, ‘Oh, five, maybe 10%?'”
“At that point, I called Amanda and said, ‘For God’s sake, get me out of here!’ And again, Bernie, Fabia, Christian Horner, and particularly Joe Macari, they all sprang into action and got me back home where I had surgery in the UK.”
Ecclestone Aids Newey After Horrific Bike Crash. Ecclestone Aids Newey After Horrific Bike Crash
- Read More>RED BULL: BEYOND CAN MAKING TO F1 CHAMPIONS
- Following us on Facebook and Twitter.
