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Replacements! Terminations! Backstabbing! It all goes down in this F1 business. 2022 is anything but the biggest testament to the saying "look out for yourself". The truth is that the world is a selfish place and with F1, things can change for a driver, or even for a team, in a split second.
Daniel Ricciardo was at a career-high barely a few years back. He scored podiums and finished P5 in the standings just a couple of years ago with Renault. Today, the Australian sits with no confirmed F1 seat for next year. Team McLaren, fed up with the 'Honey Badger' and his dull performances (which even cost them a place in the constructors' standings), has decided to bring Oscar Piastri to replace him.
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Ricciardo, sadly, might just even be on the verge of getting kicked out of F1. This is what happens when the team ends a driver's contract or shifts him prematurely. Let's look at some other instances too.
#5 When Daniil Kvyat made way for Max Verstappen in 2016
Daniil Kvyat had a bumper start in F1 when he was chosen to step into the shoes of Sebastian Vettel at Red Bull. The driver was promoted from the then-Toro Rosso team to partner with Daniel Ricciardo at the Austrian unit. He managed to outscore Ricciardo (who outscored Vettel) in his very first season there.
The Russian was a promising talent with everyone keeping an eye on him. The 2016 season beginning, however, wasn't exactly all hunky-dory for him as he made reckless moves at the Chinese GP (where he scored a podium) and crashed at the Russian GP, which cost Ricciardo his race too. Red Bull then shockingly announced Kvyat's demotion to Toro Rosso after the incident, bringing in Max Verstappen after just four races with the same team.
#4 Pierre Gasly's mid-season swap with Alex Albon in 2019 F1 season
Who would have thought that the talented Frenchman would struggle so much back in 2019? He had scored 63 points to Max Verstappen's 181 by the time August arrived. It was clear that Red Bull could not have kept him despite performing decently because Pierre Gasly simply wasn't up to Verstappen's level.
A shock replacement in the form of Alex Albon came again. The British-Thai driver was promoted from sister team Toro Rosso to take Gasly's place immediately. The results, though, still weren't there for Red Bull.
#3 Haas's bitter goodbye to Nikita Mazepin in 2022
This one wasn't exactly a shock given the Russia-Ukraine conflict was widely known and Haas was expected to make quick decisions by the time the 2022 F1 season began. The American outfit did not have a good season the preceding year, especially with Mazepin's questionable conduct.
The worldly situation, however, didn't allow Haas to move forward with either Mazepin or sponsor Uralkali. Hence, the team announced his and Uralkali's contract termination, prompting the Russian to react furiously. He even went on to confess later that a sponsor drop made sense but was separate from his driver's contract, where his termination surprised him.
Safe to say, the ties between the parties have degraded since then with money and salary becoming a major point of contention. Kevin Magnussen was announced later on and made a sensational comeback, delighting fans and F1 alike, but much to Mazepin's dismay.
#2 When Ferrari was done with Alain Prost's remarks
Even though 1990 was a marvelous year for Alain Prost, who finished second behind Brazilian great Ayrton Senna, nobody could've known what would unfold in 1991. This was a year to forget for the French driving sensation as the Ferrari 642 was simply not up to the mark he would've expected.
Prost did not win a single race that season with the car retiring multiple times due to issues. He then went on to publicly criticize his car to the point where he even called it a "truck". The working relationship in the garage was also becoming tough between Prost and the mechanics, and the sack finally happened. Ferrari fired the extremely talented driver before the season even reached its end.
#1 McLaren's sneaky end with Daniel Ricciardo in 2022
Daniel Ricciardo's move to McLaren was a very high-profile contract with many expecting wonders with this duo. His partnership with Lando Norris was also expected to be just amazing. In simpler terms, Ricciardo's move to the Woking-based outfit was thought to be an amazing and life-changing decision.
Ricciardo, however, could only get one of the boxes to tick right as this move indeed changed his life. After consecutive dull performances for the second year in a row, McLaren now sits fifth in the constructors' standings behind rivals Alpine. Ricciardo's consistent pointless runs have frustrated the team to such an extent that it locked in Oscar Piastri for next season as early as July, while Ricciardo remained unaware. The 33-year-old even put out a statement communicating his intentions to continue with the team until the end of the 2023 F1 season, when his contract would have expired.
So, these things do happen in F1 and most drivers understand that none of it is personal (besides some cases). Most of the time, it's just a requirement that the teams need to fulfill to excel in this highly competitive sport.
