- Red Bull
Vettel to leave Red Bull at end of 2014
Sebastian Vettel will leave Red Bull at the end of the season and the team has confirmed it will promote Toro Rosso driver Daniil Kvyat to race alongside Daniel Ricciardo in 2015.
The news comes as Fernando Alonso is lining up an exit from Ferrari, most likely to McLaren, with Vettel expected to replace the Spaniard next year. Vettel has won all four of his titles with Red Bull, but has struggled this year alongside Ricciardo. He has long been linked with a move to Ferrari and the door now appears to be open for him to make the step.
"Sebastian Vettel has advised us that he will be leaving Infiniti Red Bull Racing at the end of the 2014 season," a Red Bull statement said. "We want to warmly thank Sebastian for the incredible role he has played at Infiniti Red Bull Racing for the last six years.
"Since joining the team in 2009, Sebastian, together with Infiniti Red Bull Racing, has scored 38 wins, 44 poles and eight world championships, including four drivers' titles and four constructors'. If you include Sebastian's success at Red Bull's second team, Scuderia Toro Rosso, the Red Bull total increases to 39 wins and 45 poles."
Vettel added: "After 15 very enjoyable and successful years with Red Bull, I have decided to leave Red Bull at the end of this year.
"Of course it is a big step and hard to make such a decision. The chance to drive in F1, the first win with Scuderia Toro Rosso, the four championship wins with Infiniti Red Bull Racing and many other great memories have bound Red Bull and myself together into a kind of family. No one can take these times away from us.
"Now I have decided to take the next step in my career but first I would like to express once again big thanks to Dietrich Mateschitz, Dr Helmut Marko, Christian Horner, the whole Red Bull Family, Infiniti Red Bull Racing and Scuderia Toro Rosso. I would like to thank everybody within Red Bull for their confidence in me, trust and great support over the last years.
"About my future plans, there will be an announcement very soon."
Kvyat will replace Vettel after just one full year driving for Red Bull's junior team Toro Rosso. The team said it was confident the Russian would prove to be a rising star just like Ricciardo.
"As we wish Sebastian well in the next stage of his career, we also look to the future with excitement, as the vacancy makes way for the next generation of Red Bull racers," the team added. "The Red Bull Junior Programme has developed some proven talents in recent times, including Sebastian Vettel and Daniel Ricciardo, who has excelled in the RB10 and become a three-time Formula One race winner in his first season with the team.
"We're pleased to announce that Daniel will be joined in the team for 2015 by another rising star from the Junior Programme, Daniil Kvyat."
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