Daniel Ricciardo fractures hand in crash during practice, to miss Dutch GP

Daniel Ricciardo crashes during FP2 and fractures a bone in his hand, forcing him to be replaced by Liam Lawson.

In a disappointing turn of events, Daniel Ricciardo suffered a crash during the FP2 session and was subsequently taken to the hospital for evaluation. AlphaTauri, the team Ricciardo is currently driving for, revealed that he fractured a bone in his left hand as a result of the crash. As a result, reserve driver Liam Lawson, a talented 21-year-old from New Zealand, will step in to make his Formula 1 debut. Lawson had an impressive performance in the F2 championship last year, finishing third.

Expressing his frustration, Ricciardo stated, "It's really unfortunate and frustrating, but I'll try to recover as quickly as I can." He also apologized for the change in plans and wished the team and Lawson a successful weekend. Ricciardo, who has won eight Grand Prix races throughout his career, was brought back to F1 last month after being dropped by McLaren at the end of last year.

The incident that led to the suspension of the second practice session occurred when both Oscar Piastri of McLaren and Ricciardo crashed at the same corner of the Zandvoort track. Piastri lost control of his car at Turn 3 and collided with the barriers. Shortly after, Ricciardo experienced a lock-up while braking and ended up hitting the wall. Reflecting on the incident, Ricciardo explained, "I had already gotten into the corner and then saw Piastri, so it was either hit him or the wall. 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."

Pictures showed Ricciardo leaving the scene with his left arm in a sling, but the duration of his recovery remains uncertain. Following the race at Zandvoort, the Formula 1 circuit will head to Monza for the Italian Grand Prix and then proceed to Singapore two weeks later.

While Ricciardo expressed his desire to return to the track as soon as possible, he emphasized the importance of taking the necessary steps to ensure a strong and competitive comeback. The 34-year-old Australian had a successful stint with Red Bull, winning seven races from 2014 to 2018. He also secured a victory for McLaren at Monza in 2021, which was a highlight amidst a challenging two-year period with the team.

Ricciardo's return to Formula 1 with AlphaTauri has been unexpected, and his performances so far have been less than stellar. He finished 13th at the Hungarian Grand Prix and 16th in Belgium, contributing to AlphaTauri's current position at the bottom of the constructors' standings with only three points.

Overall, Ricciardo's crash and subsequent injury have posed a setback for both him and the AlphaTauri team. However, with the promising talent of Liam Lawson stepping in, there is hope for a strong weekend ahead. Ricciardo remains determined to make a swift recovery and return to the track in top form.