Ricciardo out, Liam Lawson in as his replacement
The news comes as no surprise: injured in his hand during FP2, Daniel Ricciardo will have to throw in the towel at Zandvoort. Starting this Saturday, Liam Lawson will take the wheel of the AlphaTauri.
Surprised by Oscar Piastri’s accident at turn 4, Daniel Ricciardo also hit the wall at the top of the banking.
But the Australian did not come out unscathed: his hand is fractured and will prevent him from competing in the Dutch Grand Prix. Therefore, Liam Lawson, previously in the running to replace Nyck de Vries, will take the seat in the AT04, in the hopes of achieving a good result in a previously competitive car.
The New Zealander, a member of the Red Bull program, is racing this season in Super Formula in Japan. He was involved in a major accident at Motegi last weekend but has gained the trust of Helmut Marko, especially since he finished 3rd in the F2 championship last year.
As for Daniel Ricciardo, it is difficult to know if his injury will keep him on the sidelines for a long time or not. The Australian driver was in the Top 10 of the FP2 before his crash.
Lawson’s stroke of luck, in any case, is the regulation: a driver can participate in the Grand Prix as a replacement, if and only if he takes part in the entirety of Saturday and Sunday, in order to have a minimum amount of practice. Ricciardo’s experience might be missed, but now New Zealander Lawson has his destiny in his hands.
