Verstappen sends defiant Ricciardo message after F1 exit

Red Bull star Max Verstappen has delivered a statement of resistance after his former team-mate Daniel Ricciardo was confirmed to be leaving the sport with immediate effect.

The Aussie driver was officially let go by Red Bull's secondary team, RB, on Thursday following weeks of speculation over his future on the grid.

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Over his 14 seasons in Formula 1, Ricciardo has raced for five different teams and spent the majority of those years as a member of the Red Bull family.

In 2014, the Aussie was promoted from Toro Rosso, Red Bull's junior team at the time, up to the main constructors under the watchful eye of Christian Horner.

By doing so, Ricciardo replaced fellow countryman, Mark Webber, racing alongside Sebastian Vettel and Daniil Kvyat before Verstappen joined the team in 2016.

Verstappen's farewell Ricciardo message

Following the news that Ricciardo would no longer race for RB this season, the 35-year-old took to social media to thank the teams and fans who supported him while teasing his next adventure.

Former team-mate Verstappen made his own thoughts clear on the post, commenting: "Head up mate! Many more beautiful moments to come."

This comes after Ricciardo revealed following his final race in Singapore last weekend that the Dutchman had in the past been the only driver to reach out and offer support during the low points of his career.

Despite not knowing for sure if his race at Marina Bay Street Circuit would be his last, Ricciardo went out on a high, delivering one final gift for Red Bull by stealing the fastest lap from race leader Lando Norris, and in doing so, aiding Verstappen should this year's title race come down to just one point in Abu Dhabi.

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A post shared by Daniel Ricciardo (@danielricciardo)

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