Ricciardo taken to hospital for further checks after FP2 crash at Zandvoort

Daniel Ricciardo has been transferred to a local hospital following his accident during second practice at the Dutch Grand Prix, F1’s governing body, the FIA, have confirmed.

AlphaTauri driver Ricciardo followed McLaren’s Oscar Piastri into the barriers at Zandvoort’s Turn 3 in the early stages of the session, ending his involvement there and then.

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Replays later showed Ricciardo’s hands being thrown around in the cockpit due to him still holding the steering wheel upon impact, prompting a sweary radio message from the Australian.

Having been seen holding his arms in discomfort after climbing out of the car, Ricciardo was taken to the medical centre for an initial examination before being transported to hospital.

“We can confirm that Daniel Ricciardo has been transferred to the local hospital for further checks following his crash in FP2,” read a brief statement from the FIA.

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After FP2, Ricciardo’s team mate, Yuki Tsunoda, sent some well-wishes in the direction of the 34-year-old, who only returned to a full-time seat two races ago.

“I just heard now, I think he’s taken now to the hospital,” said Tsunoda. “I didn’t see… I was not really looking properly at the onboard, what happened there, so to be honest I didn’t know even like it was that big.

“I hope he’s okay. Especially he was doing well in FP2, the beginning onwards. We have to pray. We have to pray for… Hopefully he’s in okay shape, at least, and we’ll see how it goes. Obviously his safety and health is the priority.”

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Should Ricciardo’s participation in the remainder of the Dutch GP weekend come into question, AlphaTauri would ordinarily be able to call on reserve driver Liam Lawson, who has been competing in this year’s Japan-based Super Formula championship.