As we head into the Hungarian Grand Prix, the big talking point will not be the racing itself, but instead, all eyes will be on one man.
AlphaTauri announced recently that they have decided to replace rookie driver Nyck de Vries with Red Bull's reserve driver Daniel Ricciardo.
Although he is 28-years-old, this was de Vries' first season in an F1 car, however, due to a run of poor performances, he has been replaced after just 10 races.
Despite many feeling sorry for the Dutch driver, little commotion has been caused on social media as his replacement is a fan-favourite amongst the racing world, with eight-time race winner Ricciardo taking the wheel for the remaining races on the calendar.
After a disappointing season with McLaren last year, the Australian was left without a seat heading into the 2023 campaign, the first time this had happened to him since he began his F1 career back in 2011.
In an interview with King Casino Bonus, former F1 driver Johnny Herbert believes that he is incredibly lucky to get another chance and that his ego may have been the reason why he failed at McLaren.
He said: "Daniel [Ricciardo] did his bit at Red Bull, then left. Did his bit at Renault, then left, then went to McLaren, where he thought he was going to be the 'big dog', and Lando [Norris] beat him big time.
"When you are expected to do things and your reputation takes a bit of a battering, it makes it that much harder to get yourself back into F1. Was anyone going to take a chance with Daniel after McLaren? No. Only Red Bull.
"Daniel has won Grand Prix's and wowed people with his overtaking at Red Bull. But it is a totally different story now. He has always wanted to stay in the F1 paddock and he has got the opportunity."
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Nyck de Vries' future in the sport
This ruthless decision from AlphaTauri shows how harsh the sport can be because if the results aren't there, nothing is guaranteed.
The highest finish in his 10-race stint came at the Monaco Grand Prix, finishing in 12th place, whilst his teammate Yuki Tsunoda came 15th.
However, de Vries is one of only two drivers on the grid yet to pick up a point this season, with Williams' Logan Sargeant languishing at the bottom of the driver standings with him.
The Dutchman is yet to release a statement following the decision, with his manager saying one will be made sometime this week.
Herbert believes that this decision could seriously impact his future career, with the former driver also suggesting that it could be over entirely.
He said: "Nyck de Vries will be on the floor. Can he come back? Well, it depends on relationships he has had in the past. The only one he has had has been with Mercedes, and I did hear that in Monaco, strangely enough, he was having lunch with Toto Wolff. So who knows how the wheels are turning?
"However, I don’t think Nyck will get that chance even with Mercedes because they have got Mick Schumacher, who everyone is saying a lot of positive things about, not least Lewis [Hamilton] and George [Russell].
"I can’t see anywhere where he would be able to slot himself back in because he hasn’t done himself any favours. He is going to be feeling down but all I would say to him is, ‘Your F1 dream may not be looking in a very good place at the moment, but there are other options, even in America with Indycar'. It depends on what he feels he wants to do."
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Sergio Perez now under increased pressure
Another huge talking point on the track over the last few races has been Sergio Perez's contribution to Red Bull's dominance.
Although they are running away with it, Perez's performances of late have been a huge juxtaposition to his ones at the beginning.
In the last five qualifying sessions, 'Checo' has not reached Q3, with his highest finish being 11th ahead of the Spanish Grand Prix.
Whereas, his teammate Max Verstappen has started and finished on pole in all of them.
This has raised serious questions to whether or not he is suitable to be the second driver alongside the World Champion, with Herbert believing that Ricciardo's return only adds to the pressure on him.
He said: "Daniel Ricciardo’s return has to put more pressure on Sergio Perez. I know he is batting things away and says he’s ignoring all the rumours swirling around, but we only have to see what happened to the likes of [Pierre] Gasly and Alex Albon when you’re up against Max at Red Bull.
"You are only given a certain amount of time and he has had a bad run. He can try to bat it away again but his performances don’t help when there are people like Charles [Leclerc] and Lando [Norris] waiting."
