Sebastian Vettel bade a sad farewell to Red Bull and a disappointing 2014 season on Sunday when he finished eighth in the championship-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
The 27-year-old German won his first title as the youngest world champion in Abu Dhabi in 2010 and went on to take three more in a four-year cycle of glory and success and wanted to claim a strong finish ahead of his move to Ferrari next season.
But the race delivered disappointment as he had to start from the back of the grid, after Red Bull were excluded from qualifying for running an illegal car on Saturday.
“I think the last six years have been an incredible journey,†he said.
“Obviously we didn’t expect that when we started working together — you can never expect four driver titles and four constructors’ championships in a row.
“You get to know some people in a very good way and build friendships that will last a long time. You go through happy days and sad days, you go through them together and I think I learned a lot.
“I’d like to thank Red Bull and the team for everything they did and I will miss them. I feel ready for the next step.”
Vettel was also out-performed throughout the season by his Red Bull team-mate Australian Daniel Ricciardo who won three races, to Vettel’s zero.