In the earlier days of the championship, it was not uncommon for the smaller teams to phase out drivers depending on the money they could bring, while larger teams were not above that either if a driver had been unable to live up to expectations.
It proved to be the latter in de Vries' case, as the Red Bull-owned team once more flexed its itchy trigger finger to relieve the Dutchman of his services for the rest of 2023.
Many recent examples of driving staff reshuffles come from within the team formerly known as Toro Rosso, but there are other high-profile examples of drivers being moved aside mid-season for another new hope to try their luck at a team. Here's a few of the most interesting examples from the past 30 (plus) years.