Daniel Ricciardo’s two-month absence from the F1 grid will end this weekend, with the AlphaTauri driver now fit and well and ready to report for active duty in Austin.
After undergoing surgery for a fractured metacarpal after last August’s Dutch Grand Prix weekend, Ricciardo patiently underwent a lengthy rehabilitation period capped by a succession of demanding sessions in Red Bull’s simulator in Milton Keynes.
As he watched his colleagues race, including his AlphaTauri substitute Liam Lawson, the Aussie admits that it was a frustrating time on the sidelines, but a premature return to the grid could have set him back even further.
"It’s good to be back!” he said in his team’s US Grand Prix preview. “My hand is much better, and the simulator was a useful way of assessing it.
"I tried it out in the week before Qatar, but I didn’t feel it was at full potential, so I spent the rest of that week in the UK, spending more time in the sim, and got to a point where I felt ready to go.
"My overall fitness is fine as I kept training as much as I could, although I obviously couldn’t do much with my left hand or arm for a while.
"It was definitely frustrating watching the past few races, especially as I’d gotten myself to a place where I was so ready to go again and race, and then I did two events and had to hit 'Pause' again, but actually, the time without racing went quite quickly."
©AlphaTauri
While AlphaTauri’s development programme since last August unfolded without Ricciardo’s input, the 34-year-old was kept abreast of the evolution of the team’s AT04 through technical debriefs and his sim work.
"The current car has moved on a bit since I last drove it, but the sim was useful to get an idea of what the changes and updates have delivered," he explained.
"I felt a little bit of their effect, but it’s one of those things I think, once I get on track, I’ll feel them to their full effect.
"I was there in Singapore when they tried it the first time, and it was interesting to hear the feedback and comments, which were mostly positive. So, I’m excited to see what it’s like first-hand.
"As for this weekend, I’ve always enjoyed Austin. It’s very unique for a modern-day circuit, and the undulations and bumps mean it's physical. It does beat you up, but I think I like that.
"I like the challenge. A lot of the apexes are quite wide as well, so there are some peculiar corners which make the track exceptional and stand out."
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