Daniel Ricciardo has been ruled out of this weekend’s Dutch Grand Prix after suffering a broken wrist in practice, the PA news agency understands.
The 34-year-old Australian, in only his third race back on the grid, crashed out of second practice in Zandvoort.
It is believed he will be replaced by Liam Lawson with the New Zealander to make his Formula One debut.
Lando Norris denied Max Verstappen a practice double by setting the pace for Sunday’s grand prix – after Ricciardo crashed out and was taken to hospital.
More than 300,000 spectators will descend on the coastal town of Zandvoort, 30 miles outside of Amsterdam, as Formula One emerges from its summer slumber.
The majority of whom will do so in the expectation of watching Verstappen march to his ninth consecutive victory – equalling a record set by Sebastian Vettel for Red Bull in 2013 – as he closes in on a hat-trick of world championships.
But McLaren’s Norris raised the suggestion he could spoil Verstappen’s homecoming party after he ended the day with the fastest time.
While practice speed is treated with caution, the British driver edged out Verstappen, who was fastest in the first running, by just 0.023 seconds. The impressive Alex Albon finished third for Williams, one place ahead of Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton.
The seven-time world champion finished three tenths adrift in his Mercedes with team-mate George Russell only 14th in the order.
“That was a great day for me,” said Hamilton. “I woke up this morning so excited to get back in the car and from the first lap it felt like we had a good starting point to work from.
“The car is feeling more competitive here, so we want to hold on to that and see if we can extract more for tomorrow.”
The second session was suspended after just 10 minutes when Norris’ team-mate Oscar Piastri and AlphaTauri’s Ricciardo crashed out at the same corner.
Australian Piastri, who has enjoyed an impressive rookie campaign, lost control of his McLaren through the banked left-handed Turn 3 before slamming into the barriers.
Moments later, Ricciardo, who appeared distracted by the sight of Piastri’s wounded McLaren, locked up under braking before following his compatriot into the tyre wall.
“Ah f***, my hand, f***,” the 34-year-old said over the radio after the incident.
Both men played no further part in the running as their damaged cars were towed back to their respective garages.
Ricciardo was still holding the steering wheel as he hit the wall and he was taken to the medical centre. He was then pictured leaving with his left arm in a sling, and was subsequently taken to a nearby hospital for further checks on his wrist.
The Australian will now sit out the remainder of the weekend.
Red Bull motorsport adviser Dr Helmut Marko said after the crash: “We don’t know exactly what it is yet, but he was in a lot of pain. His wrist has suffered damage, but we have to wait for the diagnosis.
“This is a new situation for us. We will first wait to see how Ricciardo is doing and whether he can drive or not, and then we discuss who gets in the car.”
Ferrari have endured a lacklustre campaign and there was little for the Italian giants to cheer on Friday, with Charles Leclerc 11th and team-mate Carlos Sainz 16th.
Ricciardo’s team-mate, Yuki Tsunoda, finished fifth with Pierre Gasly sixth and Sergio Perez, 125 points behind Verstappen in the drivers’ championship, seventh.
McLaren not ready to challenge Red Bull...yet - Norris
Lando Norris says McLaren still need more time if they want to challenge Red Bull consistently after taking his maiden victory in the Miami Grand Prix.
Norris was helped by a well-timed safety car that allowed him to jump ahead of Max Verstappen in Miami to become just the third different driver to win a Grand Prix this season.
The 24-year-old currently sits fourth in the F1 drivers’ standings after three podium finishes, and he expects another competitive race at the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix on Sunday.
"I'm confident we can make steps forward, but I've made it clear we're not going to be there every weekend," Norris said.
"We need more if we are to challenge Red Bull and Ferrari more consistently.
"We definitely took a step forward, but other teams have upgrades, too. So, we're not getting ahead of ourselves.
"I still think we’re the third-best team at the moment, but that could change if we have another good weekend here, and I'm confident with our rate of development that by next year we can challenge a lot more often for wins and, in the big picture, challenge for the title."
Norris’ victory in Florida followed a major aerodynamic development to the McLaren, and he believes it will be an even better match to the track on Sunday.
"We are just better suited for Imola, potentially the upgrade a little bit as well,” he added.
"Imola has generally been one of our more successful tracks - and for me as driver."
Newey expects to join another team after Red Bull exit
Adrian Newey admits for the first time that he expects to join another F1 team when he leaves Red Bull.
The legendary designer will depart the team in early 2025 after 19 years and is free to join a rival outfit ahead of the 2026 season.
While he did not reveal where he might go, Ferrari are regarded as favourite to land Newey as he is known to have had conversations with a Ferrari representative, while other teams have also reportedly made their interest known.
In an interview with his manager Eddie Jordan, Newey admitted he is "seriously considering changing teams, going somewhere else and doing another four or five years or whatever."
He added: "I feel a bit tired at the moment, but at some point, I’ll probably go again."
Newey’s decision to leave Red Bull was influenced by the tumultuous period behind the scenes for the Formula One constructors’ champions.
Controversy surrounded team principal Christian Horner at the start of the season as he was accused of engaging in inappropriate controlling behaviour towards a female member of staff, accusations he denied and was cleared of following an independent investigation.
Newey reflected on the decision to leave after almost two decades with the club.
"To walk away from Red Bull was a very hard decision but it was one I needed to take for a whole host of reasons. They had been my family," he continued.
"I never really thought it would be big news so for it to be in all the flipping papers and on the telly was a bit of a shock."
Albon signs new long-term contract with Williams
Alex Albon has signed a new long-term deal with Williams, until the end of the 2026 season at least.
The Thai driver, whose existing contract was due to expire at the conclusion of the 2025 campaign, has put pen to paper on fresh terms with the team he joined in 2022.
After finishing seventh in last season's World Constructors' Championship standings, Williams are ninth after a slow start to 2024.
While the length of the new deal is uncertain, it will take Albon into Formula One's new regulation period, which begins in 2026, and the 28-year-old is excited by Williams' future.
"This is a long-term project that I really believe in and want to play a key role in, which is why I have signed a multi-year contract," he said.
"The journey will take time, but I am confident we are building the right team to move forward and achieve great things in the years to come.
"It has been a difficult start to the year, but since joining Williams, we have made significant progress together, and I have seen huge changes happening behind the scenes to take us back to the front of the grid."
Team principal James Vowles added: "We are delighted to secure Alex's long-term future with Williams Racing.
"He has exceptional talent, technical input and dedication to the cause and this is a huge vote of confidence in Williams and the journey back to competitiveness that we are on.
"Since joining, Alex has consistently demonstrated his ability to perform under pressure, and signing him for the long-term is a big piece of the puzzle of moving us up the grid."
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