Nico Rosberg has revealed concerns for Daniel Ricciardo suggesting he is still struggling in the simulator despite his return this weekend at Austin.
Announced by his team, Scuderia Alpha Tauri F1 Team, Ricciardo is set to return to his seat this weekend at the Austin Grand Prix after being out of action since late August after breaking a bone in his hand in FP1 at Zandvoort.
Despite the excitement surrounding his return, it is now believed his recovery is not going as well as first thought.
Speaking on the Sky Sports F1 Podcast, the 2016 World Champion revealed a conversation he had with Alpha Tauri team principal Franz Tost in Qatar.
On the podcast, he said: “First of all Franz Tost on the grid in Qatar told me that Daniel was still struggling in the simulator, one week ago, with his wrist to do a full race distance.
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“So let’s see, I think it won’t be easy for him to come back and be physically 100%.”
Ricciardo was seen last weekend behind the wheel of the RB7 in a demo show in Nashville and, while it shows he can drive the car, Rosberg’s comments bring concern into his stamina across race distance.
Ricciardo has struggled with the new F1 cars since the change in regulations and Rosberg believes his recent injuries may make this worse for the time being.
He said: “I wish him the best and I hope he makes it because it’s so physical driving these cars. In terms of risks, it’s not just steering. It’s also when you’re braking.
“When you’re braking, you’re pushing against the steering wheel a lot because you can’t allow your body to just flop forward when you’re braking into the seatbelt. You need to push against and steer.”
“So there’s incredible forces on the wrist. I wish that he managed to come back and feel fit to race, obviously. And then the five races he needs to do now. I don’t think there’s such a high expectation on him now, because he’s got the drive for next year and I think just needs to be solid.”
Ricciardo shared images from Red Bull HQ during the Qatar GP following a day in the sim but pressure will be on to perform for the Aussie after Liam Lawson’s brilliant stint and his signing for the team in 2024.
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