Avintia's Tito Rabat has took his first steps on Sunday night in hospital just 24 hours after suffering a horror triple leg break during MotoGP FP4 at a wet Silverstone on Saturday.
A sudden downpour in the latter stages of final practice left the circuit soaked at Stowe and Vale, with a number of crashes occurring in quick succession at the former.
Rabat slid off on his way into the turn, while Marc VDS' Franco Morbidelli crashed behind him just seconds later.
Unaware of this – despite the best efforts of Alex Rins, who had to jump from his Suzuki at 200mph moments before – Rabat was struck by Morbidelli's errant Honda.
He suffered fractures to his fibula, tibula and femur in his right leg and was airlifted to University Hospital in Coventry, where he underwent emergency surgery on Saturday.
The operation was deemed a success, and the team confirmed he had already started to walk with assistance.
A team statement on Sunday read: “The best news of the day has come from the University Hospital of Coventry, where Tito Rabat, has been able to take his first steps with the help of a walker.
“Rabat will remain in the British hospital until Thursday, before travelling to Barcelona to start to work with Hospital Universitary Quiron Dexeus doctors and being able to assess the recovery time.”
Rabat's incident led to an hour delay between qualifying sessions while the circuit waited for the helicopter to return.
Sunday's British Grand Prix was cancelled following lengthy delays due to heavy rain leaving the Silverstone circuit in a dangerous condition, with the new tarmac unable to drain any standing water.
The newly laid track surface has been blamed for the safety issues, and an investigation will be launched by the circuit as to why the tarmac did not perform in the wet as it should have.
