25 August 2023 , 21:07
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Daniel Ricciardo explained why he swerved into a barrier in Dutch Grand Prix practice which led to him breaking his hand.
The Aussie will miss the rest of the race weekend at Zandvoort as a result of the injury. It was sustained towards the end of the second practice session of the day, immediately after compatriot Oscar Piastri span at turn three.
Ricciardo was behind the McLaren on track and was on a flying lap. He was travelling at speed when he came across the stranded car at the top of the banked corner and only had a very small amount of time to avoid hitting Piastri.
On-board replays appeared to show Ricciardo turn into the barrier on purpose to avoid smashing into the McLaren. And he has now confirmed that was the case, speaking for the first time after news of his injury was announced.
"I was very excited to be back after the break," he said. "The day was going pretty well. We made some changes for FP2 and the few laps I did on the hard tyre before the crash felt good – we were building up and improving. At that time, we were pretty competitive, and I was feeling positive.
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"I remember coming into Turn 3. I had already got into the corner and then saw Piastri, so it was either hit him or the wall. 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.
Daniel Ricciardo suffered a broken hand in the crash (Getty Images)"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. I wish the team well, and I'm sorry for the change in plans again. It's a chance for Liam to have a go, and I wish him and the team a strong weekend."
That last line was in reference to Liam Lawson, the man called up to replace Ricciardo as short notice. The 21-year-old Red Bull junior was already in the Zandvoort paddock in his role as a reserve driver and will now be making an unexpected Formula 1 debut.
The New Zealander will become the fourth man to race for AlphaTauri this season. Yuki Tsunoda has been the one constant throughout, but Ricciardo is himself a new face after replacing Nyck de Vries in July.