The rumour mill was churning at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, with whispers that Daniel Ricciardo’s days at Red Bull might be numbered. The Aussie driver, once the golden boy of the team, has been struggling to keep pace with his teammate and the rest of the field.

Red Bull's Helmut Marko, known for his ruthless approach to driver management, has hinted that a decision on Ricciardo’s future will be made after the Singapore Grand Prix. The smart money is on Liam Lawson, who impressed when he filled in for an injured Ricciardo last season, to take over the seat.

Ricciardo, for his part, was putting on a brave face on the grid in Baku, but his race was a disaster. He couldn’t even finish ahead of Pierre Gasly, who had to make a mandatory tyre stop on the last lap. Ricciardo blamed the tyres, saying he’d never experienced graining like that before, with lap times swinging by up to four seconds.

AlphaTauri team principal Laurent Mekies was equally downbeat, admitting that the team has a lot of work to do to get back into the top 10. The updates they brought to Baku gave them a small performance boost, but it’s not enough to match the progress of their rivals.

With only two seats left to fill for the 2025 season, the pressure is on for Ricciardo to prove he still has what it takes to compete at the highest level. But with Marko sharpening his axe, it might be too little, too late for the Honey Badger.