Daniel Ricciardo was taken to hospital after crashing near Oscar Piastri at Turn 3 during the second practice session for the Dutch Grand Prix on Friday. X-rays confirmed that the metatarsal bone in his left hand had been fractured.
The driver, who had locked his front tires at that corner of the Zandvoort circuit, was still holding the steering wheel when it slammed into the outside barrier.
Recalling the incident, the AlphaTauri driver said: “I remember going into Turn 3. I had already entered the corner and then I saw Biastrre, so it was him or the wall.
“When I hit the wall, I didn’t even have time to take my hands off the wheel, so the wheel went and hit me.”
Consequently, Ricciardo will miss the remainder of the Dutch Grand Prix. He will be replaced by Red Bull Racing’s Liam Lawson, the current Japanese Super Formula champion’s runner-up.
It is not yet clear how long Ricciardo will be out before a packed series of races. The Italian Grand Prix takes place immediately after the Dutch round, and after a week’s rest, Formula 1 visits Singapore and then Japan.
The stewards deal with Daniel Ricciardo’s damaged car, the AlphaTauri AT04
Photo: Simon Galloway/ Motorsport Pictures
Motorsports.com He realizes that Red Bull is looking to involve renowned MotoGP surgeon Dr Xavier Mir in Ricciardo’s recovery.
Mir has been turned on Lance Picnic After he was involved in a cycling accident that kept him away from pre-season training in Bahrain.
The Aston Martin driver took part in his first Grand Prix of the season a week later.
At the moment, Ricciardo, who just replaced the dismissed Nick Davis Starting with Hungary, he insisted it needed to recover “the right way”.
“It’s really unfortunate and frustrating, but I will try to recover as quickly as possible.”
“Obviously I’d like to come back soon, but I also want to make sure we’re doing things the right way, to come back strong and competitive.”
“I wish the best for the team and I’m sorry to change plans again. It’s an opportunity for Liam and I wish him and the team a good weekend.”
Jonathan Idols, AlphaTauri’s chief race engineer, said of Lawson’s last-minute call-up: “It all happened so quickly, but Liam has shown he’s up to the challenge, and he’s got the whole team behind him.”
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