McLaren draft in replacement as star driver undergoes 'successful surgery'

McLaren have announced that they expect a driver to return to the track soon, following surgery on his hand.

Sam Bird suffered the injury racing for the team's Formula E imprint in Monaco, with Taylor Barnard coming in to replace him for the upcoming E-Prix in Berlin.

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Daniel Ricciardo's broken hand and subsequent surgery may be the best comparison when projecting return timelines for Bird, with the Australian missing the Dutch Grand Prix (at which he sustained the injury) and four subsequent races.

The veteran Bird has had a mixed season on the track, with two retirements and a non-classified finish in his seven races before the Monaco incident counterbalanced by a dramatic win in Brazil – the team's first ever in the series.

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James: Bird has team's full support

A McLaren statement clarified: "Due to the nature of the injury, the team will commit to Taylor Barnard as its driver for the Berlin E-Prix, driving the #8 car for the team during the event. As the team’s Reserve and Development Driver, he will temporarily be replacing Sam Bird, while Sam is working on a full recovery."

Team principal Ian James added: “We’re very pleased to report positive progress on Sam’s recovery, with a successful operation on his hand supporting his journey back into the car.

“Taylor did a stellar job in his last-minute call-up in Monaco, as did the team, who provided him with great support and guidance throughout. He will now be able to build on that experience, while Sam works on his recovery – with the team’s full support.

“We’re looking forward to having Sam back in the car soon.”

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