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Daniel Ricciardo's accident in the 2023 F1 Dutch GP FP2 could prove to be a serious one by the looks of it. The driver was taken to the medical center and the visuals from the van in which Daniel came back weren't the most pleasant.
The first look at the incident did give the sense that maybe the damage was severe on Ricciardo's arm. With the Australian still holding on to the injured shoulder, it does appear that there might be more to his injury.
In all of this, what if the AlphaTauri driver is forced to miss the 2023 F1 Dutch GP? Who will replace him? Let's take a look.
Daniel Ricciardo's possible replacements at the 2023 F1 Dutch GP
#1 Liam Lawson
Liam Lawson was earlier in contention for the seat that ultimately went to Daniel Ricciardo. The New Zealander has been very impressive in Super Formula in Japan and is race-ready. He is also at the track right now, which works fortuitously for him and Red Bull.
Lawson has been impressive throughout his junior career. He was a strong frontrunner in F2 until last season where he finished the season third in the championship with four wins to his name.
His run in Super Formula in Japan has been very impressive as well. He currently finds himself second in the championship and has won three races as well.
Lawson will be in pole position to replace Daniel Ricciardo if push comes to shove. But there will be a slight question of his race readiness as the New Zealander was involved in a major crash recently in Super Formula. If that does not play a role and is not a concern then he should fit right in.
#2 Nyck de Vries
It would truly be a case of stuff written in the stars if Nyck de Vries gets the opportunity to replace Daniel Ricciardo for the 2023 F1 Dutch GP.
The driver was unceremoniously dropped by Red Bull for not keeping up with Yuki Tsunoda. Since then, the Dutch driver has been trying to secure his future in whatever racing series he can get his hands on.
When it comes to race fitness and acclimating to the AlphaTauri, there is no better option. De Vries has driven the car long enough to know his way around it and he will be fit enough to race as well. This will also give him a chance to remind everyone of his potential.
De Vries could be one of the options if Daniel Ricciardo cannot race this weekend and will possibly be best placed to perform out of all the options.
#3 Any of the Red Bull juniors in F2
Fortunately for Red Bull, if Daniel Ricciardo is unable to compete at the 2023 F1 Dutch GP, there is no dearth of options for the team. The entire F2 grid is filled with capable talents who could easily transition to the big league one day.
One of the more worrying things might be that if Red Bull has to go to one of these drivers then it is surely a sign of desperation. It would mean that a ready-made replacement in Liam Lawson or Nyck de Vries is unable to take the baton from Daniel Ricciardo.
Having said that, there's still some capable talent in F2 right now. There could be a spot for Ayumu Iwasa, a Denis Hauger, or a Zane Maloney. There are quite a few who could take the opportunity and do a decent job. They might be forced to skip the F2 race though, which is a minor inconvenience if you're getting a debut in F1.
