Daniel Ricciardo will not take part in Sunday’s Dutch Grand Prix.
Formula One stated on Friday that the Alpha Tauri driver sustained an injury during practice and will be replaced by Liam Lawson for the race. Alpha Tauri then claimed that X-rays revealed he had a broken metacarpal in his left hand.
It’s a setback for the veteran driver, who had only recently returned to the circuit.
Alpha Tauri confirmed on July 11 that he had joined the team on loan from Red Bull, and he competed in the Hungarian and Belgian Grand Prix last month. He began and finished 13th in the Hungarian Grand Prix, then moved up to 16th place after starting 19th in the Belgian Grand Prix.
ESPN’s Nate Saunders said that McLaren’s Oscar Piastri spun out into a wall ahead of Ricciardo on Friday. While avoiding Piastri’s car, Ricciardo slammed the barrier and informed his crew over radio that he had damaged his hand. He was transported to the hospital for assessment.
Alpha Tauri is in bottom place in the constructor standings, receiving only three points for the season. The signing of Ricciardo provided the struggling team with a seasoned driver who has won eight Formula One races, but he will now be sidelined for the foreseeable future.
The squad, like everyone else, is looking up at Red Bull in the standings this year.
Red Bull drivers Max Verstappen and Sergio Pérez have won every Grand Prix in the 2023 season, with the former leading the driver’s standings and entering Sunday’s event on an eight-race winning run.
