OCTOBER 4, 2014

Vettel to leave Red Bull at end of season

The Red Bull formula 1 team has announced that four-time world champion Sebastian Vettel is to leave the team at the end of the 2014 season.

Sebastian Vettel, Japanese GP 2014
© Active Pictures

The Red Bull formula 1 team has announced that four-time world champion Sebastian Vettel is to leave the team at the end of the 2014 season.

Vettel informed the team on Friday at Suzuka that he is taking up an option in his contract with Red Bull to leave the team after the current season.

The announcement has started the domino's falling in this season's driver market. Speculation in recent days has held that there was a Alonso/Vettel swap on the cards, but as Red Bull has already announced that Russian Toro Rosso driver Daniil Kvyat will join Daniel Ricciardo at the team next season, indications suggest that Fernando Alonso is in the process of finalising a deal to join McLaren and their new engine partner Honda, at which point Ferrari approached Vettel to join the Italian team.

Red Bull issued the following press release:

"NEW TEAM DRIVER LINE UP FOR 2015"

"Sebastian Vettel has advised us that he will be leaving Infiniti Red Bull Racing at the end of the 2014 season."

"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."

"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 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."