Max Verstappen was just as surprised as everyone when team mate Daniel Ricciardo announced his decision to leave Red Bull for what he sees as greener pastures at Renault.
While the two men have had their fair share of contentious battles on the race track, the duo has also enjoyed a harmonious relationship at Red Bull since they were paired together in 2016. Still, Verstappen is a bit confounded by the Aussie's career move.
"I think everyone was surprised," said the Dutchman in Thursday's media conference at Spa.
"But at the end of the day, he has to feel good about his decision, I think that’s the most important."
Ricciardo justified his choice by a need for a change of scenery and a fresh start, but Verstappen isn't sure his team mate will find what he is looking for at Renault.
"Everybody has moments in their careers when you’re frustrated or you’re not happy with the current situation," added the 20-year-old.
"I think everybody here wants to win races or wants to win championships. But sometimes it’s not like that and you have to really be patient and work hard for it.
"And sometimes you need the whole package to come together and I think that’s what Red Bull is working on at the moment and I’m confident that they can deliver a car that is capable of winning every race.
"We just need the whole package and we’re working towards that.
"So that’s why it was also a little bit of a surprise for me that he left. If it then is a change of scenery, I’m not sure if it’s the best scenery to go to."
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