If you watched last weekend’s Singapore Grand Prix, one of the more notable things about that race was that rumors were flying about that this would be the final race of Daniel Ricciardo in Formula 1.

And sure enough, after multiple post-race discussions and countless speculations, the sad news is true as the Honey Badger will be leaving the Visa Cash App Red Bull (VCARB) F1 team effective immediately.

Reserve driver Liam Lawson will replace him for the last six races of the season starting with the United States Grand Prix. He is no newbie to the team, having participated in five races in the 2023 season, subbing in for an injured Ricciardo.

At the moment, there has been no confirmation from the team on who will be taking up the second seat alongside Yuki Tsunoda for the 2025 season. Whether or not some shuffling within the Red Bull family will take place again, one thing is for certain: This is the Kiwi’s time to shine if he wants a Formula 1 seat.

We’ve seen drivers depart from the sport before to various fanfare, but disappointingly, this has been the most unceremonious and saddest departure for a driver, especially with how obvious it was during his emotional post-race interview.

To recap, some of the Australian’s accolades in his time in F1 include eight wins and 32 podiums across six different teams: HRT, Toro Rosso, Red Bull, Renault, McLaren, and VCARB.

Do you think his time is finally up as a Formula 1 driver?