In this March 12, 2020 photo, Renault's Australian driver Daniel Ricciardo poses for a photo at the Albert Park circuit ahead of the Formula One Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne. (WILLIAM WEST / AFP)

SYDNEY - Renault F1 driver Daniel Ricciardo will drive for McLaren in 2021, replacing Carlos Sainz who moves to Ferrari in place of Sebastian Vettel.

Both moves were confirmed by their respective teams on Thursday, with Ricciardo set to partner Lando Norris and Sainz to team up with Charles Leclerc.

"Daniel is a proven race-winner and his experience, commitment and energy will be a valuable addition to McLaren and our mission to return to the front of the field," said McLaren team principal Andreas Seidl.

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Daniel is a proven race-winner and his experience, commitment and energy will be a valuable addition to McLaren and our mission to return to the front of the field

Andreas Seidl, Team principal, McLaren

"With Daniel and Lando as team-mates, I believe we have two racers who will continue to excite our fans and help the team grow."

Sainz's move was also rubber-stamped on Thursday, after Ferrari had revealed two days ago that four-time world champion Vettel would leave the team at the end of 2020 after six years with the Scuderia.

"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 Ferrari team principal Mattia Binotto.

"We believe that a driver pairing with the talent and personality of Charles and Carlos, the youngest in the past 50 years of the Scuderia, will be the best possible combination to help us reach the goals we have set ourselves."

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The changes leave Vettel's immediate future unclear. The German is unlikely to be in the running for a seat at top teams like Mercedes and Red Bull, and may have to drop into F1's midfield if he wishes to remain in the sport.

Though Ricciardo's move leaves a vacancy at Renault, that seat is likely to be hotly contested, with Fernando Alonso thought to be keen on a return, and Vettel may instead elect to walk away from F1.