Germany's [ Images ] Sebastian Vettel [ Images ] will replace retiring David Coulthard [ Images ] at Red Bull next year, the Formula One team said on Thursday.

The 21-year-old, who will partner Australian Mark Webber [ Images ], is currently racing for Red Bull's sister team Toro Rosso.

"As he was already part of the Red Bull family, choosing Sebastian as Mark Webber's team-mate was not a difficult decision," team boss Christian Horner said in a statement at the German Grand Prix [ Images ].

"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."