Daniel Ricciardo’s return behind the wheel will take “some time”
AlphaTauri emphasized that there would be "no rush" to bring back Daniel Ricciardo into the race car as he continues his rehabilitation after a hand fracture, with the team and the driver prioritizing a full recovery.
Shortly after replacing Nyck de Vries mid-season, Ricciardo broke his metacarpal during an accident in Friday’s practice at the Dutch Grand Prix, forcing him to withdraw. Red Bull young driver Liam Lawson replaced him in Zandvoort, Monza, and Singapore.
Ricciardo made his first appearance since his injury at the Singapore Grand Prix last weekend, performing engineering tasks. However, according to AlphaTauri’s chief engineer, Jonathan Eddolls, his return to the cockpit is unlikely to happen “for some time,” as confirmed in the FIA press conference.
« We all saw him in Singapore, said Mr. Eddolls. « He is still in the recovery phase. I would say we are still talking about some time, so I wouldn’t want to set a target. The recovery is going well. We have planned some simulator sessions before his return. I think from our side and his side, there is no urgency to bring him back too soon. The worst thing would be for him to come back before he has healed properly and suffer further issues.
« No urgency before a potential return to the United States
(I think that the final decision will more likely come from him than from us. He will know better than anyone how the pain is, how the recovery is, so as I said, we are not putting pressure on him to come back. We have a pool of three good drivers at the moment, so there is no rush. The goal is for him to fully recover, so that when he comes back, there won’t even be a discussion about it.)
Daniel Ricciardo’s return could take place at the United States Grand Prix during the weekend of October 20th. He will finish his simulator sessions at the beginning of the Qatar Grand Prix week to assess the comfort of his hand. However, if the initial simulator tests go well, Qatar would be a suitable track to start, with smooth and less bumpy asphalt.
Note that Liam Lawson is competing for the title in Super Formula, and on the weekend of October 28th, he may not be able to take over at AlphaTauri. Therefore, Ricciardo has until after the United States Grand Prix to get back in shape for Mexico.
