A session in the Scuderia AlphaTauri simulator will be telling as to when Daniel Ricciardo returns to the F1 grid from injury.
The Australian is currently sidelined having broken his hand in a shunt during Free Practice 2 at the Dutch Grand Prix.
Having undergone surgery on a broken metacarpal, he is now working through a rehabilitation programme.
That process takes time, with experts in the field suggesting as much as eight weeks, though in some instances it can be hurried along with the relevant therapy.
Ricciardo has been working hard on his recovery programme since sustaining the injury and undergoing surgery four weeks ago.
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However, Jonathon Eddolls, head of trackside engineering for Scuderia AlphaTauri, stresses there is no hurry.
“We all saw him in Singapore. He’s still going through that recovery phase,” Eddolls said of Ricciardo’s return.
“I’d say we’re still talking a while away. I wouldn’t want to put target on it.
“The recovery is going well. We’ve got some simulator work planned for his return.
“From our side and his side, there’s no rush to get him back too early; the worst thing would be to come back before he’s properly healed and cause any issues.”
An important milestone on the recovery path will be a simulator session.
“It’s really that,” Eddolls agreed when asked by Speedcafe whether that simulator session amounted to a fitness test.
“He’ll jump in. The simulator’s a very good representation of the car, all of the loads, et cetera.
“I think the final decision is more than likely going to come from him rather than from us.
“He will know better than anyone. How’s the pain? How’s the recovery?
“We’re not putting him under pressure to come back,” Eddolls added.
“We’ve got a pool of three good drivers at the moment, so there’s no big rush.
“The focus is on it making a full recovery so that when he comes back, it’s not a point that’s even talked about.”
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