British GT News: Sam Bird Returns to Formula E After Hand Injury
In a highly anticipated return, Sam Bird of the McLaren Formula E team will be back on the track this weekend for the Shanghai E-Prix double-header. The British driver was forced to sit out racing for a month after suffering a broken hand in a crash during practice for the Monaco E-Prix.
The incident at Sainte-Devote left Bird with a fractured left hand, making him the latest in a growing list of drivers across various motorsport disciplines to sustain similar injuries. In recent years, broken hands have become a common occurrence, with both Formula 1’s Daniel Ricciardo and Formula E’s Robin Frijns requiring surgery and a recovery period of around two months after crashes.
Despite not being sidelined, even Fernando Alonso admitted to racing with broken bones in his hand after a crash during qualifying for the 2022 Australian Grand Prix.
Bird himself was forced to miss the Formula E season finale last year following a hand injury sustained in London, and the British driver believes a combination of factors, including the steering wheel design, cockpit layout, and lack of power steering in the all-electric series, are contributing to the increased number of these types of injuries.
“I’ve tried to watch the replay of my crash and I can’t freezeframe it quick enough. The steering wheel goes from left-hand down to it being completely the other way within one frame,” Bird tells Autosport. “So I don’t know where my hands goes, I don’t know what it hits, and it was the same in London.”
After undergoing an operation to fit more metal plates to the existing work done on his hand following the first incident, Bird is now ready to make his return. He completed 200 laps on the McLaren simulator to ensure he was fit enough to race in Shanghai, where a decision on his participation was only made on Monday.
“If I felt like I wasn’t ready, I would have told the team,” Bird assures.
The return of the British driver will be closely watched by Formula E fans and enthusiasts, as the series continues to navigate the increasing prevalence of hand injuries among its competitors.
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