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Daniel Ricciardo will not drive for AlphaTauri at this weekend’s Qatar Grand Prix despite making good progress in his recovery from a broken hand. The 34-year-old has been sidelined following a crash in free practice at the Dutch Grand Prix in August, which left him needing surgery after he was temporarily replaced by Liam Lawson.
Lawson has impressed with AlphaTauri in recent weeks and managed to score his first F1 points in Singapore last month. It seems as though he will get at least one more race before Ricciardo returns to action, with the latter not expected to be fit until the United States Grand Prix later this month, according to The Mirror.
It is said that Lawson has been confirmed to drive alongside Yuki Tsunoda in Qatar this weekend, with Ricciardo still recovering from his hand injury. He will instead be returning at the Circuit of the Americas two weeks later, where he will be hoping to bounce back with a bang after spending a number of weeks on the treatment table.
Ricciardo reportedly took part in a simulator session earlier this week to allow AlphaTauri to gauge his fitness and put a timeframe on when he will be able to race again. It was quickly decided that he will need to wait a little longer, with Red Bull chiefs said to be taking no chances with his recovery process.
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Red Bull team principal Christian Horner recently suggested that Ricciardo would miss the Qatar Grand Prix in order to allow him to make a full recovery, rather than rushing him back into the car when Lawson is performing well in his absence.
“I would say probably less likely than likely at the moment,” Horner told Sky Sports F1. “His recuperation is going well but he‘s fixed in the seat for next year. Does he need to rush a hasty return for Qatar?
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“Maybe another couple of weeks for Austin, which is a hell of a bumpy circuit anyway, it might be better to use that time in preparation for Austin. I know he‘s got his sights fixed on Qatar. He’ll drive the simulator next week and then we’ll make some decisions based on that.”
Ricciardo’s place at AlphaTauri for next season has already been confirmed, with the Aussie having signed a one-year deal at Red Bull’s sister team last month. He will continue to be paired with Tsunoda, who will be entering into his fourth season on the F1 grid when the 2024 campaign gets underway next March.
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