Sebastian Vettel will drive for Red Bull Racing from the start of the 2009 season.

Christian Horner: "We are delighted that Sebastian will be joining us next year. With David Coulthard announcing his retirement as a Formula 1 driver a fortnight ago at the British Grand Prix, after careful consideration, it seemed natural to announce his replacement here at Sebastian's home race in Hockenheim. As he was already part of the Red Bull family, choosing Sebastian as Mark Webber's team-mate was not a difficult  decision.  However,  we  have  always  stated  that  our  aim  is  to  have  the strongest available driver line-up and Vettel's selection also matches these criteria.

"Having only turned 21 at the last race and with only 17 Grand Prix starts to his name, he is still on a learning curve, but it is clear that he has plenty of ability and speed. We  are  confident  that  Red  Bull  Racing  will  make  the  most  of  these  attributes  and believe  that,  in  Mark  and  Sebastian,  we  have  a  very  competitive  driver  line-up  for 2009."

Sebastian  Vettel:  "I  am  very  proud  to  be  joining  Red  Bull  Racing  and  it's  always good  to  have  an early  decision on  what  you  are  doing  next  year. As  a  driver  your target  is  always  to  be  with  the  most  competitive  team  possible  and,  over  the  past couple of years, Red Bull Racing has proved it has great potential, so this is a good move  for  me.  I  have  been  part  of  the  Red  Bull  family  for  a  long  time  and  with  its Junior Team since 2000. Throughout my career, they have offered me great support and  now,  to drive  for their  senior  F1  team  is a  dream  come  true  and I  am  looking forward to having a great season next year, even if I still have a lot to learn about F1.

"Apart from Red Bull, I must also say a big thank you to Scuderia Toro Rosso, where I feel very much at home. They have been my "family" for over a year and I would like to  thank  Franz  (Tost)  and  Gerhard  (Berger)  for  the  opportunity  they  gave  me  and thank  the entire  team for all  their  efforts.  Having  got this announcement out  of the way, I can concentrate on racing for Toro Rosso over the second half of the season. I will try and repay them by doing my very best to get some more good results, to add to those we have achieved so far."