Red Bull team boss Christian Horner has been a big supporter of Ricciardo and not only fought to give him another chance first as a reserve driver at Red Bull and then as a racing driver at RB, but he also worked to keep him in the team despite some difficult results this season.

Ultimately, however, the Australian’s performances this year were not deemed strong enough by the Austrian side of the company. While they could see that he was getting stronger, the performance curve was not rising fast enough for them – and so the decision was made to give Lawson a chance.

READ MORE: Lawson replaces Ricciardo for the rest of the season at RB

Before the lights went out in Singapore, Ricciardo knew that this would be his last Grand Prix.

That’s why he spent so much time sitting in the cockpit after parking his car in parc fermé, gathering his thoughts. That’s why he got so emotional during media interviews. That’s why he took time to say goodbye to those closest to him before leaving the paddock for the last time as a racing driver.

However, in the absence of an official announcement, Ricciardo kept his opinion to himself. Given the way he has conducted himself throughout his illustrious career – with dignity and charm – one would have expected nothing less.