Sauber has confirmed that Hulkenberg received medical treatment after being injured in the team’s garage.

According to the team, a “tiny splinter” found its way into Hulkenberg’s eye.

The injury occurred as the team carried out grinding work on the squad’s 2025 machine, the C45.

Hulkenberg was absent from a scheduled appearance at a media conference on Wednesday as he received attention to his eye at the circuit’s medical centre.

The German was in the car on Wednesday morning, his running cut short as a result of the injury.

The 37-year-old chalked up a total of 55 laps on Wednesday morning before handing the car over to rookie team-mate Gabriel Bortoleto for the afternoon.

“We had a solid and productive first day today, and it’s overall nice to be finally back on track,” Hulkenberg said at the end of the day, failing to mention his injury.

“It was an important first day with the car: we started with a solid baseline and put in some good laps throughout all morning, going through the program we had set for ourselves.

“Between the two sessions, we gathered a useful amount of data about how the car behaves, which the team will be working on overnight.

“Now, it’s about learning more over the next few days, making the most of our track time.”

Having been seen by staff at the circuit’s medical centre on Wednesday, Hulkenberg was cleared to climb back into the car on Thursday morning.

That saw him log another 56 laps before again handing the car to Bortoleto once more.