Photo by Dean Mouhtaropoulos/Getty Images
The F1 driver updated fans on his progress in graphic detail
Daniel Ricciardo’s stunning return to the Formula 1 grid was cut short almost as quickly as it happened. The driver suffered an injury in the second practice session ahead of the Dutch Grand Prix after he swerved into the wall to avoid a collision with Oscar Piastri, and the resulting broken bone in his left hand required surgery.
Now the AlphaTauri driver is updating fans on his recovery, sharing this image of the scar on social media:
The “relatively” in Ricciardo’s caption is doing a lot of work here.
Ricciardo’s return to the grid has touched off speculation about his future at AlphaTauri, or even with Red Bull itself. Sergio Pérez is under contract through the 2024 season, but his up-and-down performance this season, particularly in qualifying, has opened the door to questions about his future with the team.
While Ricciardo calls a return to Red Bull the “fairytale” ending, he’ll need to get back on the track soon to make his case. In his absence Liam Lawson has performed admirably, finishing ahead of fellow AlphaTauri driver Yuki Tsunoda at both the Dutch Grand Prix and the Italian Grand Prix. However, both those results need a bit of context, as Tsunoda was dropped a few spots due to a penalty at Zandvoort, and his AT04 experienced an engine failure prior to the start at Monza.
Still, with Lawson finishing 11th in the Italian Grand Prix, he has shown promise, putting pressure on the current AlphaTauri lineup to deliver.