The bells of Daniel Ricciardo’s Formula One death knell are becoming deafening after the Western Australian crashed out of the Japanese Grand Prix on the second corner on Sunday.

The veteran has been at the centre of persistent rumours his future in the sport is on the line over the next month after a terrible and pointless start to his 2024 campaign.

And his chances of survival have gone from bad to worse in a nightmare weekend, ended by spearing into a tyre barrier at the famed Suzaku circuit.

Ricciardo didn’t take to the track in Free Practise One on Friday as RB tested young Japanese driver Ayumu Iwasa.

When he finally got in the car, the second session was all but rained out.

The situation worsened on Saturday as he was out-qualified by hometown teammate Yuki Tsunoda for the fourth race weekend in a row.

Starting from 11th on the grid in the feature race, the West Aussie made a poor start, being forced to the outside and being passed into the first corner.

While Ricciardo was watching the car push past him on the left, he flicked out to the racing line on the outside of turn two, unaware Thai driver Albon was attempting to overtake him on his right-hand side.

The cars clipped wheels, sending both vehicles careering through the gravel, only halted by the safety barriers.

Both drivers extricated from their cars, which had to be craned away, safely as the race was red-flagged.

After the Australian Grand Prix, a New Zealand news outlet indicated that Kiwi driver Liam Lawson had been told that if Ricciardo didn’t show positive results over the next two races, including Japan, he would replace him.

However, Red Bull and RB quickly jumped to the Australian’s defence and said he and the car had time to show improvements.

Lawson impressed as a reserve driver last season after Ricciardo broke his wrist in the Netherlands.