UP...!!!
UP...!!! This gets Alonso what he wants, solves Mercedes driver war and keeps the tifosi placated.
Or hold on to your hats...... Alonso to Mercedes, Hamilton back to McLaren as current F1champion and Button to Ferrari. Since Ferrair is one to two years away from a winning car, this buys Ferrari the time to wait for Vettel's Red Bull contract to end.
WOW!!! Alonso was blasting these rumors two weeks ago....Vettel leaving?? WOW!!!
Four-time world champion Sebastian Vettel will leave Red Bull to join Ferrari, replacing Fernando Alonso, who is set for McLaren.
Red Bull announced on Saturday that 27-year-old Vettel had “advised them” he would be leaving.
Team principal Christian Horner said Ferrari had made Vettel “a very attractive offer.”
Alonso, 33, still had two more years to run on his contract but he and Ferrari have agreed to separate.
Horner also revealed that Vettel only told him of his decision to leave on Friday night - in the middle of the Japanese Grand Prix weekend - hours before the official announcement was made.
“All I can do is wish him the very best for the future,” he said.
Vettel will be replaced at Red Bull by Russian Toro Rosso driver Daniil Kvyat.
Neither Vettel’s move to Ferrari nor Alonso’s switch to McLaren have yet been officially announced, but both are expected to be in the coming days.
Aside from McLaren, Alonso’s only other options are to retire or to take a sabbatical year, neither of which are considered likely.
Vettel, who has been out-shone by new team-mate Daniel Ricciardo this year, has been backed by Red Bull since he was 12 years old, but said he wanted to “do something else, something new”.
Sebastian Vettel celebrating
Sebastian Vettel won four World Championship titles with Red Bull
“It is not the first time I have been approached but it felt like the right time,” added the German.
“I’m not leaving because I don’t like the team or individuals, I’m not running away from anything. The voice inside me, the hunger to do something new was bigger. It was not the easiest decision but you have to listen to your heart.”
He refused to admit he was joining Ferrari, saying: “I don’t have anything I can confirm now. For now, I can’t say much.”
Ferrari have had a long-standing agreement with Vettel that he would join them when he leaves Red Bull.
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Vettel will hope to benefit from the major restructuring that is taking place at Maranello under new team principal Marco Mattiacci.
Alonso, six years older than Vettel, feels the passage of time in his career more keenly and, after five frustrating seasons, he has lost faith that Ferrari can return to competitiveness in time for him to win a third world title. He believes McLaren and new engine partner Honda are a better bet.
“Today was a surprise, with the announcement of Vettel leaving Red Bull,” said Alonso.
“Everyone was waiting for some kind of announcement on my side and the first one to move was Sebastian.
“The priority is to help Ferrari. We are in the middle of a (race) weekend. I have had my mind set for two or three months; everything was moving in that direction. I can go more or less where I want.”
http://www.bbc.com/sport/0/formula1/29487911