AlphaTauri confirm Daniel Ricciardo return in ‘engineering’ presence in Singapore

Sam Cooper 13 Sep 2023 12:15 PM

Daniel Ricciardo will be back in the F1 paddock this weekend as he continues his recovery from a fractured left hand.

It has been 19 days since Ricciardo hit the wall at Turn 3 in Zandvoort and the Australian is now undergoing rehab following successful surgery.

While Ricciardo is still unable to race, he will be back in the paddock this weekend for the first time since his surgery as he helps the team with engineering duties.

AlphaTauri confirm Daniel Ricciardo comeback but wait goes on for race return

Liam Lawson dutifully stepped up in Ricciardo’s absence and after making his F1 debut following just one practice session, Lawson’s weekend was a little easier in Monza.

But Ricciardo is itching to get back and recently posted an image of his stitches following the surgery as well as him training to get fit.

Another step on his return to racing will take place this weekend in Singapore when he joins the team for engineering purposes.

Red Bull boss Chrisian Horner has previously suggested Ricciardo will be out of action until at least the Qatar Grand Prix giving the Australian six races to secure the seat for the 2024 season.

In the meantime, 21-year-old Lawson has a chance to prove his credentials and said he was looking forward to racing at his favourite circuit.

“I was in Singapore last year as a reserve driver,” he said. “When I was a kid, it was my favourite circuit. I think because it was a night race and just looked really cool.

“I used to play it on the Formula 1 games all the time. My dad actually used to promise me every year that he would take me to the Singapore Grand Prix, and in the end, we never went, but he’s going to be coming to the Grand Prix this weekend, so actually I’m taking him!

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“I know this is a very tough race physically, and when you get thrown into F1 in this situation, even with all the training in the world, it’s still such a tough adjustment. It’s going to be extremely difficult, but we’ve been training for it and doing everything we can to prepare for that.

“Last year, I experienced the nighttime routine. It’s cool, to be honest, to go through a weekend like that. It’s a bit different to normal. Obviously, the biggest adjustment will be getting used to the track, as I’ve only driven it on the sim, and street circuits are probably the hardest to replicate.

“They take confidence, and when you’re new to the track, or even my situation being new to Formula 1, having that confidence early in the weekend is pretty tricky. I’ll be aiming to build up as many laps as we can, a bit like Monza, to be honest. That was the target there, and it will be a similar sort of thing.

“Generally, I like street circuits, for example, I absolutely love Monaco, so I’m expecting to enjoy Singapore too.”