Daniel Ricciardo will make his return for the United States Grand Prix
Injured since the free trials of the Dutch Grand Prix at the end of August, the Australian driver will return to the wheel of his AlphaTauri this week on the occasion of the return of F1 on American soil.
Good news for Daniel Ricciardo fans! Two months after his accident which caused multiple fractures to his left hand, the Australian driver announced that he would be fit to race in the upcoming Grand Prix to be held in Austin, Texas from October 20th to 22nd.
Since his track exit during the free practice at Zandvoort, Daniel Ricciardo had to undergo surgery, take long periods of rest, and participate in reathletization phases to allow his hand and left wrist to recover as soon as possible. His employer indeed did not want to rush the return of the driver in order to allow him to come back under the best conditions.
To perfect his preparation for his comeback, the former McLaren driver spent time on the Red Bull simulator to assess his feelings.
« In the simulator, it works well with my hand. It’s pleasant to drive » the Australian commended. « Everyone knows I love Austin, I wouldn’t miss this Grand Prix for the world. »
Although it would have been possible for Ricciardo to return as early as the Qatar Grand Prix, Red Bull Team Principal, Christian Horner, considers that postponing the return of the Perth native was the right decision to make.
« We wanted to see him at full capacity of his means. I think it was the right thing to make him miss this race, especially with the conditions we had there. Austin will surely be tough for him, especially on a Sprint race weekend, but I’m sure he’s in good shape » said the British leader.
This season, Ricciardo has only competed in two Grand Prix in the heart of summer, in Hungary and Belgium, after replacing Nyck de Vries, who was not retained by the Faenza team and Red Bull, considering his performances insufficient since the beginning of the year.
During Ricciardo’s absence from the starting grids, it was Liam Lawson who filled in at AlphaTauri’s cockpit. With a 9th place, two 11th places, and a 13th place, it was only in Qatar where the New Zealander had slightly more difficulty in conditions that affected many drivers. The two points scored by Lawson in Singapore and his performances equivalent or even superior to those of Yuki Tsunoda, made the Red Bull protégé’s stock soar within the paddock.
While waiting to see Lawson back in F1, it is indeed Daniel Ricciardo who the paddock and the fans will find on track this weekend and even next year, as the Australian has been confirmed as a regular for AlphaTauri in 2024.
