Report: Vettel to replace Alonso at Ferrari; Alonso to McLaren-Honda in 2015
A massive shakeup is underway in Formula One.
Sebastian Vettel is leaving Red Bull Racing, the team confirmed Friday night, and he'll reportedly join Ferrari in 2015 (details in the storyline below), where he'll take over for Fernando Alonso, according to the BBC.
Vettel doesn't confirm his Ferrari move: “I don’t have anything I can confirm now. For now, I can’t say much. It shouldn't be too long”
— Andrew Benson (@andrewbensonf1) October 4, 2014
Alonso, who agreed to leave Ferrari with two years left on his deal, will join McLaren-Honda in 2015, writes the BBC's Andrew Benson:
Alonso's decision to leave Ferrari has come because the double world champion has lost faith in Ferrari's ability to deliver him a title-winning car and believes McLaren and new engine partner Honda are a better bet.
Ferrari has had a long-standing agreement with the German that he would join them when he leaves Red Bull, who brought Vettel into F1 and took him to four world titles from 2010-13.
A deal between Alonso and McLaren is reportedly done, according to Benson. If that's the case, Jenson Button or Kevin Magnussen will be looking for a ride next year, and signs are pointing to Button's departure:
The team are believed most likely to keep Magnussen, who has increasingly begun to out-pace Button in qualifying and who at 22 on Sunday is at the beginning of his career, while Button in his mid-30s is nearing the end.