F1: Ricciardo may need surgery after crash

(GMM) Daniel Ricciardo may need to undergo surgery for a broken bone in his left hand after he crashed during practice at Zandvoort Friday afternoon.

The Australian, who was only a few races into his return to Formula 1 and linked with a sensational promotion back to Red Bull Racing in 2024, crashed during practice at Zandvoort.

“There was little he could do about it – he could no longer brake, and he could no longer avoid Piastri,” said Alpha Tauri team boss Franz Tost.

“He was laughing, but not much,” the Austrian smiled. “He’s in a lot of pain because it’s a serious injury.

“I hope he can sleep tonight, and he will probably see another doctor tomorrow. They will decide how to proceed.”

Ricciardo, 33, had a cast put on in a nearby hospital and will be replaced by reserve driver Liam Lawson for the rest of the Dutch GP weekend – who was already on-site.

It is not clear how long Australian Ricciardo will be out of action.

“We’ll see how it goes next week in Monza,” Tost told Viaplay. “Maybe he needs surgery. The doctors will decide on that in the coming days.

“The recovery for a normal person is six weeks, but he is an F1 driver and hopefully, it will go a bit faster for him. We’d like him back in the car, but it’s done now.”

New Zealander Lawson, 21, is a regular in Japan’s Super Formula series this year and Tost said he is being put under no pressure.

“You always have to be prepared – that’s part of it,” Tost said. “Liam drove the Abu Dhabi test for us last year, and he’s pretty fast.

“It won’t be easy because the field is very competitive. We are preparing him now but there is no pressure on him, and he has to enjoy himself.

“Don’t crash, drive as many laps as possible and get used to the car,” the Austrian added. “The rest will then come naturally.”