Daniel Ricciardo's crash in FP2 at Zandvoort on Friday has left the Aussie with a broken wrist, which has compelled AlphaTauri to draft in Red Bull reserve Liam Lawson for the remainder of the Dutch Grand Prix weekend.
Ricciardo veered off course at Zandvoort's banked Turn 3 corner, startled by the presence in the barrier when he arrived on the scene of Oscar Piastri's McLaren.
While the AlphaTauri's impact with the Tecpro safety barrier was not particularly violent, a kickback from the car's steering wheel snapped Ricciardo's wrist.
The 34-year-old underwent an initial check at the track's medical center and was then sent to a local hospital where a fractured wrist was diagnosed.
"After today’s incident during Free Practice 2 in Zandvoort, in which Daniel Ricciardo hit the barrier at Turn 3, he was brought to the local hospital and further examinations were carried out," AlphTauri said in a statement released on Friday evening.
"An X-ray confirmed he sustained a break to a metacarpal on his left hand, and this injury will not allow him to continue his duties, so he will be replaced by the team’s reserve driver Liam Lawson for the remainder of this weekend. The team wishes him all the best for the quickest possible recovery."
This weekend's race was to be Ricciardo's third with AlphaTauri following his return to the fray in Hungary.
Lawson will substitute for the Aussie and is likely to remain the latter's seat for next weekend's Italian Grand Prix at Monza.
The Kiwi, who finished third in last year's FIA Formula 2 Championship, missed out on a promotion to F1 for this year, with Red Bull opting to run Nyck de Vries at AlphaTauri.
Lawson, who has tested previously in F1 with both Red Bull and AlphaTauri, is competing this year in the Japanese Super Formula series with Team Mugen and has won three races in the ultra-competitive championship.
The next Super Formula round is not until the end of October at Suzuka, leaving Lawson to deputise for Ricciardo for as long as it takes the latter to recover from his injury.
Keep up to date with all the F1 news via Facebook and Twitter
Sebastian Montoya, the 19-year-old son of former Formula 1 star Juan Pablo Montoya, is set…
When former Ferrari team principal Mattia Binotto took on the role of Chief Operating Officer…
Charles Leclerc concluded the 2024 F1 season with a sense of satisfaction, the Ferrari driver…
Former Formula 1 driver David Coulthard has voiced his dismay at FIA president Mohammed Ben…
Super Aguri's application to join Formula 1 became a reality on this day in 2005,…
Ferrari roared back into contention in 2024 to deliver their strongest season in years, thanks…