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Daniel Ricciardo has broken his hand and will be replaced at AlphaTauri for the remainder of the Dutch Grand Prix weekend by Formula 1 debutant Liam Lawson, The Race understands.
Ricciardo crashed in Friday’s second practice session at Zandvoort and it was immediately clear his hand was injured.
Though the impact with the barrier was not especially violent Ricciardo had held onto the steering wheel, and the kickback from that through his hand clearly caused him immediate pain.
He was checked in the medical centre then sent to a local hospital right away for further checks. The Race was told Ricciardo has suffered a broken wrist, though a statement from AlphaTauri said his left metacarpal – between the fingers and the wrist – had been broken.
“After today’s incident during Free Practice 2 in Zandvoort, in which Daniel Ricciardo hit the barrier at Turn 3, he was brought to the local hospital and further examinations were carried out,” the team’s statement read.
“An X-ray confirmed he sustained a break to a metacarpal on his left hand, and this injury will not allow him to continue his duties, so he will be replaced by the team’s reserve driver Liam Lawson for the remainder of this weekend.
“The team wishes him all the best for the quickest possible recovery.”
It means Ricciardo, who only returned to the F1 grid with AlphaTauri two races before the summer break in Hungary, faces a yet-to-be-determined period on the sidelines.
“I remember coming into Turn 3. I had already gotten into the corner and then saw Piastri, so it was either hit him or the wall,” Ricciardo explained after FP2.
“When I hit the wall, I didn’t have enough time to take my hands off the steering wheel, so the wheel came and hit my hand. It’s really unfortunate and frustrating, but I’ll try to recover as quickly as I can.
“Obviously, I’d love to get back soon, but I also want to ensure we do things the right way, so I come back strong and competitive. I wish the team well, and I’m sorry for the change in plans again.
“It’s a chance for Liam to have a go, and I wish him and the team a strong weekend.”
He will be replaced for the remainder of the Dutch GP weekend by Red Bull junior and reserve driver Lawson.
The New Zealander won races in Formula 2 last year but missed out on an F1 graduation as AlphaTauri initially signed the more experienced Nyck de Vries before axing him after 10 races for Ricciardo.
Lawson has instead spent the year fighting for the title in Japan’s Super Formula championship, which he can still win.
The next Super Formula round is not until the Suzuka double-header finale at the end of October, so Lawson should be clear to deputise for Ricciardo for as long as Red Bull needs him to.
