Jaime Alguersuari has expressed his shock at Toro Rosso's decision to drop him for 2012, but says he remains grateful for Red Bull's support of his career and will keep the news in perspective.
The Spaniard and team-mate Sebastien Buemi have been shown the door by Toro Rosso in favour of Daniel Ricciardo and Jean-Eric Vergne.
Alguersuari had been a Red Bull protege since his teens, and raced for the firm's junior F1 squad since being brought in to replace Sebastien Bourdais in mid-2009.
He said news of his sacking had stung because team boss Franz Tost and Red Bull's star-maker Helmut Marko had previously hinted he would be kept on.
"I talked with Helmut Marko and Franz Tost and they told me they had plans for me in 2012," Alguersuari said.
"They did it with enthusiasm and showed me much confidence."
But he said he remained grateful that Red Bull had taken him as far as it had, and reckoned with all he had learned within the drinks giant's junior programme, he would be a big asset to any other F1 team now.
"I will not judge the reasons of the decision, because Red Bull gave me everything since I was 15 years old, I’ve been formed with them, and I've become a complete F1 driver at age 21," said Alguersuari.
"I am not a victim because for seven years I have enjoyed the privilege of being in the best team in the world and with the best means, they brought me here, with them I won the British F3 International Series at 18 years old and with them I have achieved the best results of a 21-year-old F1 driver in 2011.
"They have taken a decision that I respect, but I am left with an enviable training at an emotional and fitness level."
He said looking at Europe's current economic struggles helped him keep his situation in perspective.
"Reading the headlines I've come to realise that there are almost five million unemployed persons in Spain, and we can only give back to this country the confidence and optimism, thinking about fighting and improving every day," said Alguersuari.
"And that's what I'll do starting tomorrow, I promise to all the fans and the people who appreciate me."