Sainz tipped for Vergne's Toro Rosso seat

LONDON (Reuters) - Spaniard Carlos Sainz junior looks set to race in Formula One next season after Frenchman Jean-Eric Vergne said on Wednesday he had left Toro Rosso. "Despite a good season and 22 points, I'll not drive anymore for Toro Rosso in 2015," Vergne told his followers on Twitter. "Thanks for those years. Let's go for another big challenge." Toro Rosso have already signed 17-year-old Dutch driver Max Verstappen, son of former F1 racer Jos, for next year. They had intended to partner Verstappen with Russian Daniil Kvyat but that plan changed when four times world champion Sebastian Vettel announced he was leaving Red Bull to join Ferrari. Kvyat was promoted to the former champions, leaving 24-year-old Vergne hoping for a reprieve, with Toro Rosso principal Franz Tost saying the team would benefit from having one experienced driver. However others in the Red Bull hierarchy appeared more in favour of bringing through another youngster from their driver programme. Vergne has been with Toro Rosso for three seasons and was in contention last year for the Red Bull drive that went to his then team mate Daniel Ricciardo instead. Sainz, son and namesake of the former world rally champion, has been testing for Red Bull in Abu Dhabi this week after winning the Formula Renault 3.5 title. Toro Rosso have Abu Dhabi-owned Spanish oil company CEPSA as one of their sponsors. (Reporting by Alan Baldwin, editing by Ken Ferris and Toby Davis)