In a rather unfortunate turn of events, Australian Formula 1 driver Daniel Ricciardo found himself caught up in an accident during the second practice session of the Dutch Grand Prix. The incident occurred when his fellow Australian driver, Oscar Piastri, crashed his McLaren at Zandvoort’s banked Turn 3. As Ricciardo arrived at the scene, he had to take evasive action and ended up hitting the outside barriers, causing his steering wheel to snap violently upon impact. The 34-year-old driver immediately expressed his discomfort over radio communication, complaining about wrist pain.
Ricciardo was quickly taken to a nearby hospital in Haarlem to undergo X-rays. It was revealed that he had sustained a broken left hand as a result of the accident. Red Bull advisor Marko confirmed this unfortunate news and announced that Ricciardo would not be able to continue racing for the remainder of the Dutch Grand Prix weekend. The team’s reserve driver, Liam Lawson, was subsequently chosen to replace Ricciardo from Saturday’s FP3 session onwards.
A Disappointing Development
The injury came as a great disappointment, both for Ricciardo and for Red Bull. The team’s car had been performing well at Zandvoort, making the situation even more frustrating. Marko expressed his regret over the turn of events, acknowledging the potential of the car and the missed opportunity that Ricciardo’s injury created.
With Ricciardo out of action, it was Liam Lawson’s time to step up. The young New Zealand driver, who currently sits second in Japan’s Super Formula championship, took on the responsibility of driving for Red Bull in the remainder of the Dutch Grand Prix. Despite his strong performances in previous races, this would be Lawson’s first time driving a 2023 F1 car. Interestingly, Lawson had been considered as a contender to replace Nyck de Vries from Hungary onwards, but Red Bull ultimately decided to give the seat to Ricciardo to bring more experience to the struggling AlphaTauri team.
Ricciardo’s Recovery and Future Races
At this moment, it is unclear how long Ricciardo will be out of action. However, it is highly likely that he will miss the Italian Grand Prix, as it is scheduled to take place next week. Red Bull is actively exploring options to aid Ricciardo’s recovery, including the involvement of MotoGP surgeon Doctor Xavier Mir. Mir is renowned for his work and has previously operated on Formula 1 driver Lance Stroll after a cycling accident that resulted in him missing pre-season testing in Bahrain.
A Team’s Well-Wishes for Ricciardo
The AlphaTauri team released a statement following the incident, confirming Ricciardo’s broken metacarpal and expressing their best wishes for his swift recovery. They also highlighted that Liam Lawson would take over Ricciardo’s duties for the remainder of the Dutch Grand Prix weekend.
The unfortunate accident that took Daniel Ricciardo out of the Dutch Grand Prix was a disappointing turn of events for the Australian driver and the Red Bull team. It disrupted their chances of success at Zandvoort, where the car had shown promising performance. However, Liam Lawson, the team’s reserve driver, stepped in to take on the challenge. As Ricciardo focuses on his recovery, fans and the team eagerly await his return to the track, hoping for a speedy recovery and a strong comeback.
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