Daniel Ricciardo delivers a bit of magic in what could be his F1 swan song

On the final laps of the Singapore Grand Prix, the matter was all but decided: Lando Norris had built up a commanding lead over Max Verstappen and, barring mishap, the McLaren driver was on track to take his third win of the season and extend the team's lead over Red Bull in the constructors' championship.

But one driver still has a little bit of magic left, delivering a lap that could be his final, if inconclusive, farewell to the sport he loves.

In the final few laps, the Visa Cash App RB F1 Team called on Daniel Ricciardo, who was at the back, to put on the soft tyres. Ricciardo slowly emerged from the pits and blazed around the Marina Bay Street Circuit, setting an astounding lap time of just 1m34.486s to take the fastest lap of the race from Norris, who had a 1m34.925s.

Ricciardo also reached an astounding 188.218kph on that lap, the fastest of the race so far.

Was that his final moment of sporting glory?

All season long, rumours had dogged the Australian driver as to whether he would retain his VCARB seat for next season, but in recent weeks the timing has changed and when Ricciardo arrived in Singapore this week there was speculation that this could be his last race. Every time he oversteered a little on track or hit a barrier, the cameras panned ominously to Liam Lawson, the team's reserve driver and potential replacement for Ricciardo.

Ricciardo was forced to address the rumors during media day on Thursday, saying his goal this week is to get the RB01 on the podium, perhaps with a strong run to keep his seat and avoid a seemingly inevitable benching.

However, a poor qualifying performance made such a miracle run even more unlikely, and ultimately, Ricciardo's moment of glory came when he set the fastest lap in what would likely be his final race.

After the chequered flag, Ricciardo was spotted taking a little extra time in the RB01 before climbing out – perhaps an effect of doing 62 laps in what George Russell described as a “sauna” during the Singapore Grand Prix?

Or is the driver saying goodbye?

Perhaps as another way to honour the moment, Ricciardo was voted “Driver of the Day” by the fans, an award that is often presented to Norris every race weekend due to the McLaren driver's incredible popularity and matching performances this season.

Interestingly, the bonus point for the fastest lap could prove crucial later in the season. Had Norris kept it, he would have closed the gap to Max Verstappen by eight points. However, Norris only closed the gap by seven points, and given how this race unfolded, every point counts. Red Bull believes the upcoming circuit is much more suited to the RB20 than the streets of Singapore, but those extra points could ultimately be crucial in the battle between Verstappen and Norris for the drivers' championship.

How important is it? Just this:

As the chequered flag waved, Verstappen was informed of Ricciardo's feat by his team: “Your old friend Daniel set the fastest lap there.”

“Thanks Daniel,” Verstappen replied.

Thank you so much, Daniel.