Vettel to quit Red Bull Racing at end of 2014 F1 season

In a major bombshell dropped during the Japanese Grand Prix at Suzuka, four-time defending F1 constructors' world champions Red Bull Racing announced in a statement that four-time champion Sebastian Vettel will be quitting the team at the end of the current season with Scuderia Toro Rosso's Daniil Kvyat taking his place in the team's driver line-up alongside Daniel Ricciardo.

The Red Bull Racing team released the following statement on its official website:

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.

Amid the circumstances of radically different regulations, a stern challenge from Ricciardo and the Red Bull F1 team pushing hard to groom new talent through its driver development program, it had been speculated for some time that Vettel would eventually move on to a new challenge.

Numerous rumors in F1 circles have linked Vettel with a move to Ferrari in place of Fernando Alonso who is thought to be at the end of his relationship with the Italian team and looking for a move to former employers McLaren.

With Vettel quitting Red Bull Racing it is likely that there will be other major developments announced in the F1 driver market.