Daniel Ricciardo has been ruled out of the Dutch Grand Prix due to a broken hand sustained in a crash during Friday practice, handing Liam Lawson his F1 debut with AlphaTauri in the process.

Ricciardo followed Oscar Piastri – the man who replaced him at McLaren for the 2023 season – into the barriers at Zandvoort’s Turn 3 in the early stages of FP2, putting him out of the session on the spot.

Replays later showed Ricciardo’s hands being thrown around in the cockpit due to him still holding the steering wheel when he impacted the wall, with the Australian visibly in discomfort when he stepped out of the car.

Having been taken to the medical centre and then a local hospital, news has now come from AlphaTauri that Ricciardo broke a metacarpal on his left hand, and will not be able to take part in what would have been the third race since his F1 comeback with Red Bull’s sister outfit.

In his place steps Lawson, the 21-year-old reserve driver for Red Bull and AlphaTauri who has been competing in the Japan-based Super Formula championship this year.

Lawson sits second in the Super Formula standings ahead of October’s season finale double header at Suzuka, with the break in the calendar leaving him free to substitute for Ricciardo.

He is set to become the 10th New Zealander to contest a Grand Prix and the most recent since Brendon Hartley raced for Toro Rosso (now AlphaTauri) in 2017 and 2018.

Last year, Lawson made his F1 weekend debut with AlphaTauri during FP1 for the Belgian Grand Prix, before a second appearance for the team in Mexico and then an outing with Red Bull in Abu Dhabi.

Ricciardo is the second F1 driver to suffer from a breakage in 2023, after Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll sustained broken wrists and a broken toe during a training crash in the days leading up to pre-season testing.

Stroll was injured on Saturday, February 18, five days before testing began, with the Canadian getting back in the car on Friday March 3 and then racing on Sunday March 5 – just a fortnight after the accident.
With the Italian Grand Prix directly following this weekend’s round at Zandvoort, it also casts doubt over Ricciardo’s ability to contest the Monza event.

AlphaTauri have confirmed Liam Lawson will continue to deputise for Daniel Ricciardo until the Australian is ready to return to racing.

Ricciardo broke his hand in a crash during second practice for the Dutch Grand on Friday, with Red Bull junior Lawson drafted in as a last minute replacement.

Lawson went on to qualify in 20th place for the race but acquitted himself well in the Grand Prix itself, managing to navigate one of the most chaotic races in recent memory to finish in P13, despite wet weather, red flags, Safety Car restarts and a penalty making his Formula 1 debut anything but straightforward.

Meanwhile, Ricciardo was flown to Spain to have surgery on his hand on Sunday.

“Had surgery this morning, got my first bit of metalwork so that’s cool,” Ricciardo said on social media when he posted a photo from his hospital bed on Sunday evening. “Big thanks to everyone who reached out and kept my spirits up. This ain’t a setback, just all part of the comeback."

Red Bull boss Christian Horner confirmed after the race at Zandvoort that the eight-time race winner would be out of action at least until after next week's Italian Grand Prix

“He had an operation earlier today, he’s had several screws and a plate fitted to his metacarpal, it went well, it was successful,” said Horner.“

It was a fairly straightforward procedure so now it is all about recovery and we’ll see. For a normal human being that would be a couple of months, for a Grand Prix driver it’s often much shorter.”

Lawson was initially only called up for the Dutch Grand Prix, but on Monday afternoon AlphaTauri confirmed he would continue to race until Ricciardo is fully fit and ready to get back behind the wheel.

"We are delighted that Daniel’s surgery went well and that he is now on the road to recovery," the Italian team said in a statement.

"We hope to see him at the track again very soon, but until he is fully fit, we can confirm that Liam, who did a good job in difficult circumstances in Zandvoort, will continue to drive alongside Yuki, starting from our home race this weekend in Monza."

Lawson, 21, said after his debut on Sunday he was simply happy to make the chequered flag, given how hectic the race was.

“It was good, it was a lot going on. When I was rolling up to the grid and it was starting to rain, it wasn’t the best feeling but the race was okay,” he said afterwards.

"I think the second half of the race was not so bad, once we got clean air and also on the inters at the end was not too bad. Just happy to survive.”

Ferrari have shown off a special, tweaked livery that will adorn the cars of Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz during this weekend’s Italian Grand Prix at Monza – the famous marque’s home race.

While the usual red colour scheme remains front and centre, it has been joined by additional flashes of yellow and black as seen on Ferrari’s 499P Hypercar that won the 24 Hours of Le Mans earlier this year.

The new ‘Hybrid Energy System’ race graphic, which will be launching this weekend in Monza for the 2023 Italian Grand Prix, is the next exciting release from the F1 Insights series powered by AWS.

‘Hybrid Energy System’ is the second graphic to be launched in 2023 (following ‘Close to the Wall’ in May), and will provide fans and broadcasters with a clear view of exactly how electrical energy is being used by drivers within the hybrid energy model.

This new F1 Insight will produce a clear, insightful TV Graphic detecting drivers’ usage of electrical energy based on their previous lap and will be used in live broadcast.

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The graphic will be able to identify three different driver behaviours:

1. Neutral – the driver balances the amount of energy harvested and used along the lap in question.
2. Recharging – the driver focuses on recharging the battery level, which is a clear indicator of a build up for some high-energy use for that driver in the next lap, such as going for the fastest lap or preparing to attack a driver in front.
3. Deploying – the driver uses more energy than they have harvested to over-perform on their pace, defend their position, or attack drivers ahead.

The above outputs are achieved by solving energy balance equations using the immense cloud computational power provided by AWS.

The identification of the driver behaviours is obtained thanks to a correlation analysis of the driver’s demands and the characteristics of specific sections of the circuit.

Lewis Hamilton has put pen to paper on a new Mercedes contract that will keep the seven-time world champion onboard through the 2025 season, with team mate George Russell also retained for the same period.

Hamilton, now 38, was in the final year of his existing Silver Arrows deal and had been in talks with team boss Toto Wolff for several months, with those discussions eventually resulting in fresh terms.

It comes halfway through Hamilton’s 11th season for Mercedes, having joined the Brackley team back in 2013 and gone on to set a host of records, from championship wins (tied with Michael Schumacher on seven) to pole positions (104), race wins (103) and much more.

Hamilton and Mercedes are currently working hard to return to the front of the F1 grid, their respective title-winning runs having come to an end in 2021, but both sides are confident that the renewed partnership will yield further success.

“We dream every day of being the best and we have dedicated the past decade together to achieving that goal,” said Hamilton. “Being at the top does not happen overnight or over a short period of time, it takes commitment, hard work and dedication and it’s been an honour to earn our way into the history books with this incredible team.

“We have never been hungrier to win. We have learnt from every success but also every setback. We continue to chase our dreams, we continue to fight no matter the challenge and we will win again.

“I’m grateful to the team who have supported me both on and off the track. Our story isn’t finished, we are determined to achieve more together and we won’t stop until we do.”

A similarly pleased Russell added: “I have grown up with this team ever since joining as part of the junior programme back in 2017. It’s my home and it feels fantastic to extend our special relationship through 2025.

“After stepping up to the Mercedes race seat last year, I wanted to reward the trust and belief that Toto and the rest of the team placed in me. Taking my first pole position and race win last year was an unforgettable feeling.

“More importantly though, it’s been great to work with everybody at Brackley and Brixworth to make progress with our car and push forward our development. Their loyalty, vision and hard work is inspiring.

“We have made some significant steps over the last 18 months and are only getting stronger as a team. I’m excited to help continue to build on that momentum as we progress into 2024 and 2025 as we continue to focus on returning to the very front of the pack.”

Adding further background to the news, Mercedes boss Wolff commented: “Continuing with our current driver line-up was a straightforward decision. We have the strongest pairing on the grid and both drivers are playing a crucial role in the team to move us forward. The strength and stability they provide will be key building blocks for our future success.

“Our partnership with Lewis is one of the most successful in the sport’s history. It was always a formality that we would continue together – and it’s energising for us all to be confirming that publicly. His qualities as a pure racing driver are illustrated by his remarkable track record; but over our years together, he has grown to become a pillar and leader of our team.

“Those leadership qualities are crucial as we focus on fighting for world championships again. As F1’s biggest global star, he has also played a key role in shaping our commitments to diversity, inclusion and sustainability, that will be foundations for our success in the years ahead.

“George is a leading light of his generation. He has repaid the faith we showed in him when promoting him to a race seat in 2022. His maiden pole position in Hungary and first Grand Prix victory in São Paulo were standout moments last season.

“As a driver, he combines razor-sharp speed with the tenacity of a true fighter. But he brings, too, an intelligence and attention to detail that will help him to continue to grow, develop and improve further. He is a natural fit to the team and we are delighted to have extended the relationship for the coming years.”

​​​​​​​Alf Romeo are set to run a special one-off livery for this weekend’s Italian Grand Prix from the Autodromo Nazionale Monza. Gone is their usual red and black configuration, with the dazzling tricolore of the Italian flag in its place.

While they usually run the Italian flag colours on their rear wing, that design is now much more prominent across the main sidepod and engine cover, with the traditional red only glimpsed on the top of the car’s nose. This is in tribute to Alfa Romeo’s latest road car, the 33 Stradale, with gold accents to match.

“Alfa Romeo F1 Team Stake’s tribute livery embodies the spirit, the passion and the vision we have put in the 33 Stradale: it is pure, classic sportiness, and it combines looks with performance," said Alfa Romeo’s CEO Jean Philippe Imparato. "I cannot wait to see it on track this weekend."

“As we approach our home race in Monza, it’s a pleasure to unveil this incredible livery, a true tribute not only to the 33 Stradale, but to Alfa Romeo as a whole and to the country it hails from, Italy,” said Team Representative Alessandro Alunni Bravi.

“This livery is probably one of the most beautiful we’ve ever had on a car, and to be able to showcase it in front of our home crowd – including hundreds of our team members from Hinwil on the grandstands – is an honour for all of us.”

In the wake of complaints from a number of drivers that the current generation of cars is getting as difficult to race as close to each other as the previous rules set, it has emerged that the FIA has already been alerted to the situation.

Its analysis of the performance of the current ground-effect machinery is that the 2023 cars have given away 50% of the gains that were achieved for 2022 in terms of the downforce loss that cars experience when running close behind another.

This backs up comments from Carlos Sainz after last weekend's Italian Grand Prix where he suggested that the cars were getting harder to race again.

"It's starting to become a bit like 2021 or 2020 where it is difficult to follow," said the Spaniard.

With the situation unlikely to improve into next year, being too late for changes to be imposed on teams now, the FIA is evaluating tweaks for 2025.

In an exclusive interview with Motorsport.com's Italian edition, the FIA's single-seater director Nikolas Tombazis has revealed just how significant the drop in aero performance has been.

"If we take the 2021 F1 cars, based on being two lengths from the car in front, they were losing more than 50% of the [aero] load," he explained.

"With the 2022 single-seaters, there was only a 20% reduction in load. But now we are at about 35%. Surely there has been a worsening and, on this point, Carlos is right. We have identified what we should act on."

With teams already having committed a lot of resources towards next year's cars, it is felt unfair for the FIA to try to push through any changes for 2024, especially as this would be fairly futile because competitors would resist such efforts.

Instead, Tombazis says that a proper solution will be worked on in plenty of time for 2025 to help address matters and improve the aero characteristics.

"We are studying solutions for 2025," he explained. "We have identified some parts of the cars to act on, such as the endplate of the front wing, the side of the floor and the fins inside the wheels (around the brake ducts). We could lay down somewhat more restrictive rules in these areas.

"It is clear we no longer have the advantage of 2022 and, therefore, we know that there is work to be done."

The reduction in the ability of cars to follow each other is the result of teams having pushed hard to develop designs that increase outwash, which forces airflow away from the car and tyres.

It is this outwash effect that hampers the ability of cars to follow each other closely, as the air that generates downforce is thrown clear.

One area where teams have been pushing to increase the outwash effect is on the front wing, with Ferrari having led the way in exploiting a rule change to run slot gap separators that divert airflow away from the car.

Tombazis said there were aspects of current car developments that were not helping the racing aspect, but believed this was not something the FIA could interfere with.

"We have the right to act on flexible bodywork when we see something that does not convince us because the regulation says that parts should be rigidly secured and immobile," he said. "In reality, we know that this is not [strictly] possible, so there is a right to apply common sense.

"The regulations do not allow us to act on things we do not like on the cars. There are several aspects in the interpretation of the aerodynamic regulations that we do not like at the moment, but to change something we would need to go through the procedures to achieve a broad consensus.

"Sometimes we have tried to change things, but we have not always achieved the result we wanted. I believe that 90% of the regulations are in line with what we wanted and there is 10% that, with hindsight, we would have done in a different way."

While F1 awaits official confirmation, Pirelli remains the favourite to beat Bridgestone to the contract, with many paddock insiders suggesting that the deal is now a formality, and assuming that as time drags on, a change becomes less likely.

The twist is that sources suggest that a strategic withdrawal from F1 by the Italian company when that next term ends is a possible scenario, one that would leave the sport looking for a new tyre partner for 2029 and beyond.

The FIA launched a tender process earlier this year, and Pirelli and its only challenger Bridgestone were quickly approved by the governing body after their technical proposals were studied.

The next step was the commercial discussion with Stefano Domenicali and the F1 organisation. That has now dragged on for months as the two companies have in effect been played off against each other in a bidding war.

Indeed in the early stages, the word was that Bridgestone's financial proposal was too good for F1 to walk away from.

Domenicali can't be faulted for trying to squeeze as much out of the sole tyre supplier as he can, as it's his job to maximise revenue for the teams and for his bosses at Liberty Media.

It's not just about the headline fee, but details like how many races will receive title sponsorship, how much signage is placed around the tracks, and even how many guest passes are issued to the tyre supplier.

The discussions have been made more complex by the fact that F2 and F3 are also part of the deal, and by the addition of an important sustainability element that wasn't part of previous tenders.

The debate has been further complicated by the strong suggestion that should Pirelli win this tender, it will be its last go-around.

In other words, having been the supplier for 18 years from 2011 to 2028, it would walk away from F1 with little more to achieve in terms of building its brand.

If that is indeed Pirelli's plan, the challenge for Domenicali is what happens for the next tender period that commences in 2029.

If Pirelli wins this time and Bridgestone decides to try again in four years, and there is no competition, then the commercial discussions will be very different. It will be a buyer's market, and F1 won't be able to squeeze the Japanese company as hard as it was able to this time around.

On the other hand, it could be that knowing that incumbent Pirelli is going and thus the F1 deal is definitely up for grabs might encourage others, such as Michelin or Hankook, to join the fight, which will ramp up the price.

The nightmare scenario for Domenicali is that there are no bidders at all for the 2029 tender, and fear of that scenario would be one reason to switch to Bridgestone sooner rather than later.

It's easy to suggest that the best compromise is that as a result of the current discussions Pirelli gets the upcoming deal and Bridgestone is given the nod for 2029 and beyond, a bit like the IOC naming the next two Olympic host cities, or FIFA choosing two World Cup hosting countries, at the same time.

That would give Bridgestone plenty of time to get its act together and give F1 long-term income guarantees and the knowledge that a supplier is in place to follow Pirelli.

However, that's not how the FIA tender process works, so however convenient, such an arrangement isn't possible.

The commercial side isn't the only consideration for Domenicali, and he has to take into account the on-track impact of introducing a new tyre supplier.

In recent weeks there have been contrasting views up and down the paddock about which way F1 should go. Some believe that it's time for a change, and to give a company other than Pirelli a chance.

There is some nostalgia associated with Bridgestone and its success during the Michael Schumacher era, especially among drivers who grew up at that time, and who haven't always enjoyed using Pirelli's products.

Others believe that it's a case of better the devil you know – Pirelli's service might not be perfect, but at least we're familiar with how the company operates after 13 years.

There's also a strong feeling that should it win the deal Bridgestone would face a huge challenge in having first to create tyres for the current cars to use in 2025, while also designing something completely different for the new technical regulations that come into force in 2026, when teams will already have a lot on their plates.

That in turn is related to the testing programme that Bridgestone would have to undertake. Obviously from March next year, the company will take over the 25 in-season days that are currently used by Pirelli for future development and are shared among the 10 teams.

However, it will need to do a lot of running between now and then, and which team or teams do that work, and how would be organised, has been a matter of debate.

"If a new tyre supplier comes there are some difficulties there," says Haas boss Guenther Steiner.

"I think the main thing is technical, these tyres, I think they're very technically challenging to make, and if you start with not having done F1 for a long time, like one of the suppliers haven't, how do you go through a test programme, a very expensive test programme?"

"I think Guenther summed it up perfectly," said Williams team boss James Vowles. "The technical challenge to produce tyres for a modern-day F1 car is extraordinary. It's not as easy as it was perhaps 20 years ago.

"The downforce we're now producing is orders of magnitude, almost, higher."

The problem is the longer the decision is delayed, the less sense it makes for Bridgestone to get the deal, given it is starting from zero.

"Technically, I think that it's true that it's quite challenging," says Ferrari's Fred Vasseur. "Also, because we are speaking about one type of tyre for 2025, and probably another one for 2026.

"It means that you will have to develop two different tyres or construction or perhaps dimensions in the next two or three years. I don't know if it's too late, it's not my job, but it's a challenge."

AlphaTauri's Franz Tost also suggests that time is against Bridgestone.

"First of all, it's good that there are two tyre suppliers who want to provide us with tyres because this brings us additional money and brings FOM into a good situation," says the Austrian.

"From the technical side, I think a new supplier is quite late now with this decision. But anyway, fortunately, that's not my problem."

Tost makes the very obvious point that in the end, the teams are keen to see their shares of the extra cash that will be added to the prize money pot, whoever wins the tyre deal, and Christian Horner agrees.

"Pirelli is a great company and I'm sure in their tender that they've offered generous terms to the promoter, to the teams," says the Red Bull boss.

"There's many, many millions of reasons that we would love to continue with Pirelli!

"They're a great tyre company, they've given us a great service, and hopefully there's, as I say, several million reasons that that will continue."

There's also a strong feeling that should it win the deal Bridgestone would face a huge challenge in having first to create tyres for the current cars to use in 2025, while also designing something completely different for the new technical regulations that come into force in 2026, when teams will already have a lot on their plates.

China’s first full-time F1 driver Zhou Guanyu has signed a new deal to extend his stay at Alfa Romeo into 2024 alongside Valtteri Bottas.

Zhou made his debut with the Sauber-run Swiss team in 2022, scoring a point on debut in Bahrain and has shown strong progress since.

The team said his “maturity and a methodical approach” in his second year had “won him even more supporters within the team” and a new deal was a “natural conclusion as he aims for further improvement”.

It means Zhou will have the opportunity to race on home soil for the first time in F1, with the Chinese Grand Prix returning to the calendar next year.

The move gives the team stability as the 24-year-old’s team mate Bottas already had a contract for 2024, having signed a multi-year deal that comes to a conclusion at the end of next year.

“Signing again with the team is always a great feeling, especially when we know how things are shaping up,” said Zhou. “I am proud to be part of Alfa Romeo and grateful for their trust.

“I have been working extremely hard since day one and there is an incredible level of motivation to keep doing so every day forward. My relationship with Valtteri is really good, and we are working closely together and with the team to push everyone forward.

“I am also very excited about the opportunity to finally race with my team in China, in front of my home crowd. It will be a great moment and I’m proud to be able to share it with all those who have supported me.”

Bottas said: “I have a feeling we have an exciting journey ahead of us, so I am happy and grateful to be able to look forward to 2024 knowing how the team is shaping up.

“There is a good atmosphere within our squad, I get along with Zhou and we both push each other hard to improve.

"There is an impressive amount of work going on behind the scenes, in Hinwil and beyond, and now that the line-up is set for next year, we can focus fully on improving, starting this weekend in Singapore already.”

With Alfa Romeo’s full line-up now confirmed for 2024, Team Representative Alessandro Alunni Bravi said: “The decision to continue our journey with our driver line-up unchanged is testament to the investment we have made in our project.

“Nothing in Formula 1 changes overnight, and we have taken a conscious decision to focus on stability and to keep building our team up together as we embark on an important period of transition.

“Valtteri and Zhou are drivers of known talent and skill and they work really well together: they are well-matched and can push each other.

"Valtteri has taken a real leader’s role within the team, pushing us all to give our best; Zhou has made impressive steps forward in the last two years and we expect him to continue on this trajectory in 2024.

“Now the baton is back to us – we have to give both drivers a good car and put them in the best conditions to perform.”

Alfa Romeo also announced F2 championship leader Theo Pourchaire will continue in his role as reserve driver in 2024.

“Over the years, the team has become a family to me and, therefore, I am really happy and grateful to continue my journey with Alfa Romeo and the Sauber Academy,” said Pourchaire.

“The support I have received from everyone in the team has been outstanding, and I’m proud to be able to contribute to the growth of the whole operation.”

Alunni Bravi added: “I am happy that Théo will remain with the team for 2024 as one of our reserve drivers: he has done an incredible job this year, not just in F2, where we will all support him as he fights for the title in Abu Dhabi, but also behind the scenes, working with the team in Hinwil.”

Alfa Romeo head into this weekend’s Singapore Grand Prix in ninth in the constructors’ championship, one point behind Haas.