Carlos Sainz joining Ferrari in 2021 as Sebastian Vettel's replacement

Spaniard Carlos Sainz will race for Ferrari in 2021 and 2022 as a replacement for four-time world champion Sebastian Vettel alongside Charles Leclerc, the Italian Formula One team said in a statement on Thursday.

Sainz, 25, has been at McLaren since last year. Ferrari will be his fourth team after his 2015 debut with Italy-based Toro Rosso. His father and namesake is a two-time world rally champion.

"With five seasons already behind him, Carlos has proved to be very talented and has shown that he has the technical ability and the right attributes to make him an ideal fit with our family," said team principal Mattia Binotto.