Daniel Ricciardo dudded in 'shocking' drama at Japanese Grand Prix

McLaren's treatment of Daniel Ricciardo has once again drawn the ire of F1 fans after a costly blunder cost the Aussie driver at the Japanese Grand Prix.

Ricciardo will depart McLaren at the end of the season after a disappointing two years with the team, revealing on Saturday that he will most likely take a break from F1 in 2023.

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With the Australian driver on the outer with his team, McLaren continue to prioritise Ricciardo's teammate Lando Norris.

And that fact was on full display at the Japanese Grand Prix on Sunday when the Aussie driver's red-hot start was undone by a costly strategy call.

Ricciardo jumped up from 13th to eighth on the opening lap at Suzuka and found himself in second place when the leaders headed for the pits to switch to intermediate tyres.

Norris was among the drivers to pit, but McLaren decided to keep Ricciardo out on the track.

It was only on the next lap that McLaren called Ricciardo in, which saw him re-enter the track in 11th place and well back from the leading pack.

Fans were highly critical of McLaren's call, particularly considering Ricciardo was coming off a season-best fifth-place finish at the Singapore Grand Prix.

Daniel Ricciardo concedes he won't be in F1 next year

Speaking to reporters ahead of the race, Ricciardo revealed that he probably won't be racing in F1 next year.

Alpine and Alpha Tauri both filled their vacant seats for next season ahead of the Japanese Grand Prix, leaving strugglers Haas and Williams as the only potential landing spots for the Aussie.

“I think the reality is now I won‘t be on the grid in 2023,” he said.

“I think it’s now just trying to set up for 2024."

Alpine's announcement that they had signed French driver Pierre Gasly saw Alpha Tauri follow suit by revealing they had signed former F2 champion Nyck de Vries.

“I think that there could be some better opportunities (in 2024), so that‘s really what all this confirms and now where the sights are set," Ricciardo said.

“To be honest, the Gasly news I was aware of. I knew they were they were talking for a while and I knew though they were very interested in Pierre.

“Let‘s say I was prepared for that and (it was) no surprise, so we were trying to navigate our way around that and figure out what was next.”

F1 commentator Will Buxton was among the many to voice concerns that the 33-year-old Ricciardo might never race again if he takes a year off.

"Daniel’s sabbatical doesn’t make sense to me. I genuinely don’t understand the reasoning," he wrote on Twitter.

"I’d argue he stands to gain nothing. And I worry he won’t race in F1 again, certainly not for a team in the top half of the grid, and stands to waste some brilliantly competitive years waiting for a half chance when he could and should be in a racecar showing us the Daniel we know.

"If the F1 dream is over, sooner he makes peace with it and finds a new lease of life in a championship where he can be competitive.

"That’s why I’d have loved to see him in Indycar. Not sat in the back of a garage twiddling his thumbs."

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