F1 drivers urged to “step up” to fill Ricciardo and Vettel void

Ricciardo was axed by McLaren and chose to take a third driver role at Red Bull this season, while four-time F1 champion Vettel chose to retire after representing Aston Martin last season.

A domino effect through the 2023 driver line-up saw rookies Oscar Piastri, Nyck de Vries and Logan Sargeant get their first chances.

"I must say there are two notable exceptions to F1 in 2023,” Kravitz said on Sky in Bahrain. 

“We do miss their presence and I'm talking about Daniel Ricciardo and Sebastian Vettel. And you know what? I felt this on Thursday when we started and I feel it now, I just miss those guys. They were big personalities.

"Yes, I know Ricciardo is a reserve driver for Red Bull, he might be around, but they were big personalities. 

“You know, if F1 is to continue its popularity, then some of these drivers need to step up and become and develop and be those big personalities to replace those guys that we have lost in the sport.

"I'm sure they will do, [it always happens, always has happened in F1, but it's just a sign of what a great draw Danny Ric and Seb were that we do feel that we miss them."

Mick Schumacher, another big-name driver albeit without Ricciardo and Vettel’s experience, also lost his seat at Haas.

Ricciardo has always been one of F1’s most colourful personalities and it has been enhanced by Netflix’s ‘Drive To Survive’ - he was one of the early breakout stars of the series.

But F1’s attempt to crack America - there will be a record three races in the US this year - has seen Sargeant come onto the grid for the first time, driving for Williams.

The ability of this younger crop of drivers to capture the public’s imagination like Ricciardo did is hotting up, in the absence of the bigger-name stars.