Daniel Ricciardo tipped to make immediate F1 return at US GP in 'masterstroke' move

Formula 1 fans hope to still see Daniel Ricciardo soon despite the Australian's exit from the grid after Red Bull replaced him at the VCARB team with Liam Lawson

A US Grand Prix chief is holding out hope that Daniel Ricciardo will grace the Austin race with his presence, despite being dropped from the Formula 1 grid. After being given the boot by Red Bull post-Singapore Grand Prix, and replaced at sister team VCARB by reserve driver Liam Lawson, Ricciardo's absence will be felt at the upcoming US GP - the first F1 event since the shake-up.

Known for his massive fan base in the States, Ricciardo would no doubt be met with a rapturous reception even as a spectator.

Circuit of the Americas chairman Bobby Epstein is keen to see the 35 year old Aussie make an appearance, saying: "Daniel, he may be able to have just as big an impact out of the car as he has in it at our grand prix."

He added, "I am not sure that necessarily people are buying tickets to come see him race if he is not in a competitive car, right? So, if you are coming because he is part of the F1 community, I think he can still be part of the F1 community in a pretty meaningful way. He is really, really loved in Texas, and I think he likes it here.

"And so I would hope that he makes himself available more to the fans than he would otherwise be if he had an obligation in the car. I hope he is still coming here, because we have got a lot of people who would love to shake his hand or get his autograph or take a picture - just see him around town. We will keep him busy.", reports the Mirror.

A potential appearance at COTA could provide F1 enthusiasts with an opportunity to express their admiration for Ricciardo, whose racing career appears to be drawing to a close following his departure. Red Bull has faced criticism over their handling of the situation, with the news only confirmed post-Singapore race despite clear indications that Ricciardo's time was up.

Some fans criticised the team for seemingly leaving Ricciardo in a state of uncertainty about his future and denying him a proper farewell. However, Mirror Sport understands it was Ricciardo's choice to keep his exit under wraps until after the Singapore race.

This sentiment was echoed by David Coulthard, who shared his thoughts on why this might have been a smart move from his fellow ex-Red Bull racer. On his Formula For Success podcast, Coulthard said: "I know there has been a lot of reaction negatively, people going, why was he not given that opportunity?

"But I have heard that he was given that opportunity and chose not to. So I am trying to kind of figure that out in my head, whether that is just a personal thing, [he] did not want to be distracted by that, or whether that is some sort of media masterstroke which will just gain even more mileage when I imagine he will or should turn up in Austin and Vegas.

"He is big in America. [Those are] two great opportunities for him to get a lot of airtime and make it all about him, where maybe it would have been mixed into a Grand Prix weekend in Singapore."