Daniel Ricciardo says it’s ‘good to be back’ ahead of U.S. GP return

Daniel Ricciardo will return to action this weekend at the United States Grand Prix in Austin after missing five races with a broken hand, the Australian Formula One driver confirmed on Wednesday.

Ricciardo was injured during testing for the Dutch Grand Prix in August and was replaced at AlphaTauri by New Zealander Liam Lawson.

“It’s good to be back. My hand is feeling much better and the simulator has been a useful way to assess it,” he said during a team presentation.

I tried it the week before Qatar, but didn’t feel like it was delivering on its full potential. So I spent the rest of the week in the UK, spending more time in the simulation, and I got to a point where I felt ready to go.

“My overall fitness is good and I’ve continued to train as much as I can, although I obviously haven’t been able to do much with my left hand or arm for a while.”

This weekend’s race will take place in a sprint format, with a 100km race on Saturday and a main event on Sunday.

Red Bull-owned AlphaTauri is last in the constructors’ standings, but Lawson claimed his best finish so far in 2023 with a ninth place in Singapore last month.

Ricciardo joined the team in July replacing Dutch driver Nyck de Vries and has already been confirmed for 2024.

“It was really frustrating watching the last few races, especially since I got to a point where I was so ready to start again and race, and then I did two events and had to take a break again,” Ricciardo said. .

“But in reality, the time without racing went by quite quickly. The current car has evolved a bit since the last time I drove it, but the simulation was useful to get a feel for what the changes and updates are. day have brought.”

“I felt a little bit of their effect, but it’s one of those things, I think, that once I get on track, I’ll feel them fully.”