With the Dutch Grand Prix being a long way off, the Austin weekend will once again see a familiar face on the grid, the return of Daniel Ricciardo. The Australian injured his wrist during FP2 at Zandvoort and had a long recovery process, but is now back.
Five races later, Daniel Ricciardo was injured during the second practice session of the Dutch Grand Prix after attempting to collide with the car of his compatriot Oscar Piastri. As the track deviated, the veteran driver did not have time to move his hand away from the steering wheel and suffered a complex injury to his wrist, which has now recovered.
“It’s good to be back. My hands are much better and the simulator was great to help with that. I’ve always loved Austin, it’s very unique because it’s a modern track,” Daniel said in an official AlphaTauri statement.
After being out for almost two months, Ricciardo has now shared his feelings upon his return about seeing racing from the sidelines, something he experienced in the first half of the season after being released by McLaren and hired by AlphaTauri.
“It’s been frustrating watching the last few races. Especially because I got to a point where I was ready to race again, and then I had a couple of weekends and had to stop again, but actually the time went by without a race very quickly,” he said. Ricardo.
Daniel also commented on his postponed return at the Qatar Grand Prix, with the driver admitting that he is not feeling well and would prefer to stay out a little longer to be 100% ready for the final stage of the season.
“My hands are much better and the simulator was a helpful way to evaluate them. I did the test [no simulador] The week before Qatar, but I didn’t feel like I was reaching my full potential, so I spent the rest of the week in the UK, spending more time on the simulator, and I got to a point where I felt ready to go back. “, revealed Daniel.
He added: “My general fitness is good because I have continued to train as much as possible, although I have not been able to do much with my left hand or arm for a while.”
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While recovering from his injuries, Liam Lawson took over the wheel of the AlphaTauri car. Initially, it was expected that Ricciardo would be ready to return to the category at the Japanese Grand Prix, but the New Zealander’s good performance, coupled with the fear of fracture complications, made Red Bull more cautious.
Formula 1 returns on Friday with free practice for the US Grand Prix, while the race takes place on Sunday in Austin.
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