Daniel Ricciardo out with broken finger as Liam Lawson set for F1 debut – F1 news round-up

The return to action at Zandvoort ended up being dominated by one storyline after Friday practice, in today’s selection of F1 news.

Formula 1 cars were back in action after four weeks away following the summer break, and Max Verstappen went fastest in front of his home crowd at Zandvoort in FP1 before Lando Norris topped FP2.

But it was a crash in FP2 for two drivers that ended up dominating headlines, with a driver change at AlphaTauri having now come into force.

Daniel Ricciardo out of Dutch GP after breaking metacarpal

丹尼尔Ricciardo摔断了一根他的左手尾er crashing into the barrier at Turn 3 in FP2 on Friday, just moments after McLaren driver Oscar Piastri had found himself in the wall.

Ricciardo was not far behind the McLaren driver on track, and upon seeing him on the racing line, he did not have time to get his hands off the wheel and locked up, sliding into the barrier.

Upon a swift trip to hospital for checks, it was found that he had broken a metacarpal, and Red Bull junior Liam Lawson will be drafted in to replace him for his F1 debut this weekend.

Read more:Daniel Ricciardo ruled out of Dutch Grand Prix after practice crash

Daniel Ricciardo dubs injury ‘really unfortunate and frustrating’

After being ruled out of the weekend and perhaps the foreseeable rounds, Ricciardo said his crash was a case of taking evasive action from his countryman – hitting Piastri or the wall.

When it comes to getting back behind the wheel, no timeframe has been set just yet, but he wants to make sure that when he is able to drive again, he wants to make sure he is competitive instead of being an also-ran.

“I remember coming into Turn 3. I had already gotten into the corner and then saw Piastri, so it was either hit him or the wall,” Ricciardo said.

“When I hit the wall, I didn’t have enough time to take my hands off the steering wheel, so the wheel came and hit my hand.

“It’s really unfortunate and frustrating, but I’ll try to recover as quickly as I can. Obviously, I’d love to get back soon, but I also want to ensure we do things the right way, so I come back strong and competitive.”

Read more:Daniel Ricciardo speaks out after broken bone costs him Dutch GP drive

Get to know Liam Lawson a little bit better

当他在FP3方向盘Saturday, Liam Lawson will be thrown in very much at the deep end alongside Yuki Tsunoda at extremely short notice.

The Red Bull junior is highly rated by the team, and has been rumoured to be one of the names considered for a drive at the team in 2024.

We’ve put together some career facts on the New Zealander, who will drive with the number 40 on his car this weekend – not least the fact he was born in 2002. We’re all getting old.

Read more:Who is Daniel Ricciardo’s AlphaTauri replacement Liam Lawson?

Zandvoort marshals send Danny Ric best wishes in most Dutch way possible

There was a heart-warming gift from the marshals who helped clear Ricciardo’s car away from Turn 3, with those at the corner clearly noticing the Australian was in pain.

To try and help him with a sweet treat, they sent some stroopwafel – the thoroughly delicious waffle cookie sandwiched together with caramel – to the AlphaTauri garage, with a thoughtful note with their best wishes and a hope that he gets well soon, all prior to knowing the extent of his injuries.

Good to know there are still some good people in the world somewhere.

Read more:Zandvoort marshals send heart-warming gift to Daniel Ricciardo after FP2 hand injury

Back on track, Max Verstappen is wary of one rival in particular

Even though he remains the hot favourite to take victory at his home race this weekend, Max Verstappen was keeping an eye on the pace of Lando Norris, who pipped him to top spot in FP2.

Both McLaren drivers look quick over one lap around Zandvoort, and with overtaking difficult around the twisty seaside circuit, qualifying well is crucial to chances of success on race day – and Verstappen thinks Norris could be in the hunt this weekend.

“I think they look quick on any tyre,” he said of McLaren. “So, for sure, we know that in qualifying especially a few teams can fight us sometimes and we’ll find out tomorrow.”

Read more:Max Verstappen wary of McLaren threat after Lando Norris tops Dutch GP practice