Laconi Recovering from "Perfect" Surgery

Regis Laconi came out of surgery this morning in Jo'burg, with doctors claiming a "perfect" outcome. As planned, a plate was put in his neck to stabilize the fractured vertebrae, a bone chip by his spinal cord was removed and a skin graft topped off the whole shebang. Apparently he'll remain in the Sunninghill Hospital until the end of the month, then be flown back to Paris for further recovery and any follow-up procedures he may need. The official word is that "there should be no physical consequences", although there's not much chance of him returning to racing this season.