Daniel Ricciardo was labelled a "broken man" by Formula 1 pundit Martin Brundle as he limped to a 15th-placed finish at the Belgian Grand Prix.
A swathe of grid penalties for other drivers, including team-mate Lando Norris, meant he started from seventh place. But he was unable to hold on to a points position as he gradually fell down the order.
In the week McLaren announced he would be leaving a year earlier than planned amid his struggles, Ricciardo could manage to finish only 15th. He was even three places behind Norris despite starting a long way ahead, leading some to question if he still has the desire to race in F1.
"I'm not enjoying watching Daniel. It's painful, isn't it?" said Brundle on Sky Sports. "Daniel didn't convince me that he wanted to stay on the grid, that he wanted to go to Alpine or anywhere else.
"I think he potentially does, but I saw a bit of a broken man, I didn't see 'I'm going to win a race this year, I am going to be on the grid next year. I'll show them they've made the wrong decision here'."
Covering the race for Channel 4, David Coulthard added: "I don't think drivers lose their speed, whatever age they are, it's just they lose the need. It's whether he's just lost that raw youthful hunger that he had when he first arrived in the sport."
After the race, Ricciardo took to social media to admit it had been "a tough weekend". But he went on to insist it had "felt good to be back out there" after a difficult summer break.
Although there is plenty of respect and admiration for the Australian in the paddock, there is no guarantee of his place in the sport next year. And he himself admits he is not sure if another team will take him on after his McLaren exit.
"Time will tell – we'll see," he said of his future. "We'll see what feels right, and is right, but it's purely going to be on where I feel like it'd be the most competitive. That's ultimately what it's going to come down to. It's not going to be about any other factors than that."
