The Briton suffered the damage to his left hand approaching the ultimate 10 minutes of FP1 on Saturday morning, after he locked up into the opening flip, Sainte Devote.
Bird took to the escape street at excessive pace, with the best entrance wheel of his McLaren hitting the barrier and together with his arms nonetheless on the steering wheel.
Despite getting out of the automobile unaided and walking again to the pits, additional evaluation has revealed an damage that can put Bird out of at the moment’s Monaco E-Prix.
Bird beforehand broken his left wrist in London whereas driving for Jaguar in 2022, which meant he missed the season finale in Seoul.
Following a visit to hospital the place he was x-rayed, McLaren confirmed that Bird has damaged one bone in his left hand and “would require additional therapy”.
An announcement from the McLaren workforce learn: “Due to a hand damage sustained throughout Free Practice 1, Sam Bird is not going to take part within the remaining classes on the Monaco E-Prix.
“As a outcome, and pending approval from the FIA, Taylor Barnard shall be stepping in for the rest of the occasion.”
Sam Bird, NEOM McLaren Formula E Team, e-4ORCE 04
Photo by: Simon Galloway / Motorsport Images
Barnard is McLaren’s reserve driver in Formula E and has taken half in a lot of rookie classes with the workforce, essentially the most recent coming earlier this month in a 30-minute session forward of the Misano E-Prix which he topped.
The 19-year-old Briton has but to begin a Formula E race and is presently racing in Formula 2 with PHM AIX Racing, recording a greatest results of thirteenth thus far.
Previously, the Aston Martin Autosport BRDC Award finalist in 2023 raced in F3 with Jenzer Motorsport final yr the place he completed tenth general after recording one win at Spa.
Bird is one in every of a number of drivers who has suffered a hand damage following a crash within the final yr.
Envision driver Robin Frijns missed 4 Formula E races final season after struggling a collision within the opening race of the season in Mexico City, with the Dutchman requiring surgical procedure to pin and set the damaged bones earlier than returning over two months later.
In Formula 1, Daniel Ricciardo suffered an analogous destiny after crashing throughout follow for the Dutch Grand Prix in 2023 which additionally sidelined the Australian for 4 races throughout a two-month interval.
