The ruthless reality of Red Bull's junior programme isn't exactly new. But some of its members getting second chances is a relatively recent change.

In 2017, Brendon Hartley was brought back after a Le Mans-winning spell as part of Porsche's LMP1 sportscar team. At the end of the following year, Alexander Albon was plucked from a plum Formula E deal with Nissan e.dams to re-join the Red Bull fold, and Daniil Kvyat, who had barely just been jettisoned when Hartley and Pierre Gasly were being brought through, returned to Toro Rosso.