'Vettel considering F1 retirement this year'

The Monaco Grand Prix paddock was apparently awash with rumours that Sebastian Vettel is considering retiring at the end of the season. Vettel has struggled to make his mark at Ferrari since moving from Red Bull in 2015, losing out to Lewis Hamilton in title battles the past two years.

Vettel has four world championships to his name after a dominant run with Red Bull, but the team and driver's fortunes have been turned by the dawning of the V6 Hybrid era, which has seen Mercedes and Hamilton take charge.

Charles Leclerc's arrival at Maranello has put further pressure on Vettel, who has benefitted from team orders in several races and has already grown weary of discussing the matter.

Speaking earlier this year, Vettel said he was looking to race next year, but added of further commitment: "Nobody knows so far. I certainly can't sit here and say, 'No [I won't leave]' just for the sake of being in Formula 1.

But veteran F1 journalist Joe Saward wrote in his latest newsletter: "The most shocking rumour that started to spread in the paddock in Monaco is that Sebastian Vettel is considering retiring from F1 at the end of the season at the age of 31.

"After winning four world championships with Red Bull between 2010 and 2013 he tried to bring Ferrari back to success, but he made several mistakes and is now under pressure after the arrival of Charles Leclerc, younger and apparently with more growth margin than German.

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"A choice that in some ways would follow that of Nico Rosberg, who left F1 after winning the title in 2016 aware of the fact that he would hardly succeed in the enterprise again. The big question, of course, is who would be Vettel's successor.

"The names that have been circulating for now are those of Sergio Perez, Kevin Magnussen, Romain Grosjean and Valtteri Bottas."

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