Red Bull has confirmed that Daniel Ricciardo will leave its Formula 1 team at the end of 2018, ahead of an anticipated move to Renault.
Ricciardo has been affiliated with Red Bull for more than a decade and has competed for its Formula 1 team since 2014, following previous spells at HRT and Toro Rosso.
Ricciardo's future has been a key talking point through the summer months and he was expected to commit to the team for 2019, when it takes up a supply of Honda power units.
Update: Renault signs Ricciardo on two-year deal
But on Friday reports emerged that Ricciardo has penned a deal to join Renault, and Red Bull acted swiftly to confirm his impending exit.
"We fully respect Daniel’s decision to leave Aston Martin Red Bull Racing and we wish him all the best in his future," said Team Principal Christian Horner.
"We would like to thank him for his dedication and the role he has played since joining the team in 2014, the highlights of course being the seven wins and the 29 podiums he has achieved so far with us.
"We will now continue to evaluate the numerous options available to us before deciding on which driver partners Max Verstappen for the 2019 season.
"In the meantime, there are still nine races left in 2018 and we are fully focused on maximising every opportunity for Max and Daniel for the remainder of the season."
Red Bull has an option on Carlos Sainz Jr.'s future until the end of September, and currently fields Pierre Gasly and Brendon Hartley at Toro Rosso.
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