Lewis Hamilton revealed his shock at AlphaTauri’s decision to replace Nyck De Vries and then delivered a loaded insult about the ruthless nature of the decision by Red Bull chiefs.
De Vries has been replaced with Daniel Ricciardo, following a turbulent start to his rookie season after the Dutchman failed to score a point during 10 races with the Italian outfit and was largely outshone by his more experienced team-mate, Yuki Tsunoda, in a poorly performing car.
Speaking to ESPN, Hamilton revealed he sympathised with De Vries, and shared his support for the Dutch driver during what must be a tough period for him.
The seven-time world champion shares the belief of many in the paddock that he will return to racing, even if a return to F1 now seems unlikely.
He said: “I was definitely surprised to see the decision they took with poor Nyck. He's such a talented young man and such a nice guy as well. I think his future is still bright for him and he'll have lots of great options, I'm sure.”
Hamilton has seen Red Bull make snap decisions with regards to F1 drivers in the past and when asked if the decision was a part of Formula 1’s tough nature, Hamilton was pointed in his response.