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Daniel Ricciardo has had successful surgery to repair his fractured left metacarpal following his accident during the second free practice session at Zandvoort. The Australian hit the wall to avoid Oscar Piastri and the steering wheel snapped, causing his injury.
Successful surgery for Ricciardo on Sunday
On Sunday, there was confirmation of a successful surgery for Ricciardo in Barcelona. His doctor was Dr. Xavier Mir, who has operated on multiple MotoGP riders in the past, as well as Lance Stroll earlier this season. The Canadian had broken his wrist while cycling twelve days before the season opener in Bahrain, but took part in that race.
Offering an update from his personal account on Instagram, Ricciardo spoke on his condition, underlining his optimism regarding his recovery:
Hey everyone. Had surgery this morning, got my first bit of metal work so that’s pretty cool. Big thanks to everyone who reached out and kept my spirits up. This ain’t a setback, just all part of the comeback.
Following his surgery, Alpha Tauri confirmed that everything went well. As expected, it was also announced that he will miss the Italian Grand Prix at the very least and his place will be taken by Liam Lawson until he recovers, as he did in Zandvoort.
We are delighted that Daniel’s surgery went well and that he is now on the road to recovery.
We hope to see him at the track again very soon, but until he is fully fit, we can confirm that Liam, who did a good job in difficult circumstances in Zandvoort, will continue to drive alongside Yuki, starting from our home race in Monza.
Liam Lawson’s performance in Zandvoort
The 21-year-old made his debut in the Dutch Grand Prix, in far less than ideal conditions. He only got to compete on a single practice session and that was on a wet surface. Although he qualified last, his race was exceptional considering the circumstances.
In a Grand Prix that included two rain showers, one of which was severe enough to warrant the red flags to come out, Lawson battled through the difficult conditions and earned in a very respectable thirteenth-place finish. That was enough for him to beat his teammate, Yuki Tsunoda, as well.
With more time to prepare and a bit of experience already under his belt, he will be better equipped to race in his second Grand Prix and it will be interesting to monitor his performance at Monza.
It is still unclear how many races Ricciardo will miss, but Lawson will be available for the next few weekends. He is currently racing in Japan, at the Super Formula championship. He is in title contention at the moment, with one weekend of racing remaining. That will take place on 27-29 October, which coincides with the Mexican Grand Prix. Ricciardo is expected to be fit by then, so that will not be an issue.
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