Antonio Felix da Costa says being passed over for an F1 drive in favour of Daniil Kvyat “hurts”.

Da Costa was widely tipped to take the seat at Toro Rosso left vacant by Daniel Ricciardo. However the team announced today it will be taken by fellow Red Bull junior programme driver Daniil Kvyat.

“It hurts but it’s like this,” Da Costa wrote on Twitter, “I’m happy for Daniil and that it stays in the Red Bull family.”

“And I love you all, all my supporters, fans and lovers, its been amazing to feel your support, its not over, thank you all.”

Da Costa shot to prominence with a highly successful 2012 campaign in which he finished third in GP3 and fourth in Formula Renault 3.5 – the latter despite missing the first five races of the season.

However he failed to build on that success this year, due in part to some car problems and misfortune, and ended his second year in the category third behind McLaren development drivers Kevin Magnussen and Stoffel Vandoorne.

2014 F1 season

Image ?�?� Red Bull/Getty