Frijns: "No pain" ahead of Formula E Sao Paulo return after wrist break

The Dutchman suffered a break to his left wrist in the opening race of the season at the Mexico City E-Prix in January after hitting the back of Norman Nato’s Nissan.

After undergoing surgery that evening to add a metal plate, the 31-year-old only made his racing return for the World Endurance Championship’s Sebring 1000 Miles a week ago.

After finishing sixth in the LMP2 class with WRT, Frijns experienced no ill-effects and will race this weekend in Brazil.

“It’s just a bit in the beginning stiffness but the more you drive the looser it gets,” Frijns told Autosport. “There was no pain at all, I can take all the power in my hands, I can push, I can pull. Just the flexibility is a bit [lacking], because of the plate.”

Frijns admitted there had been no specific timeframe for a return to Formula E, but that he had tried to race in the Cape Town E-Prix last month before being advised by doctors not to compete.

“I did the sim before Cape Town, I was there at the factory, and I was okay, but the FIA doctor decided to not let me drive because he saw the X-ray,” said Frijns.

“At that moment I was disappointed obviously but at the end was the right call to do. Then I made another X-ray two weeks after and it looked quite a bit better, so that’s why we decided to have a go.”

Robin Frijns, ABT CUPRA Racing

Photo by: Carl Bingham / Motorsport Images

Frijns will continue to race the remainder of the Formula E season with the plate still in his wrist, but will eventually look to get it removed, and that the Sao Paulo E-Prix layout this weekend will put less strain on his wrist.

“There will be a new operation after the season because I want to take this plate out,” he said. “I don’t know [when] I still need to organise it, but sometime in August or September.

“This is one of the tracks where it’s the best way to come back because there’s no real tricky corner. It’s only like start-stop chicanes, so I don’t see an issue here.”