VCARB have retained Yuki Tsunoda for next year and are in the process of promoting Liam Lawson from reserve driver to take the other seat. That means Ricciardo could be forced to leave F1 for the second time in three years, with Lawson tipped to replace the 35-year-old after the next race in Singapore this weekend.

During Thursday’s media interviews, reigning world champion Max Verstappen was quick to share his admiration for Ricciardo, who he spent three seasons with at Red Bull Racing. Reflecting on their time as teammates and Ricciardo’s career, Verstappen highlighted the achievements of the eight-time Grand Prix winner.

Ricciardo had his sights set on Sergio Perez’s seat at Red Bull but he simply has not been up to scratch at RB