Sebastian Vettel is considering leaving Formula 1 at the end of this season, according to a rumour in the Monaco paddock.
Questions have been asked about the German after the disappointment of last year and now the challenge he faces at Ferrari from youngster Charles Leclerc.
Vettel has always insisted he remains motivated by the desire to be a world champion with Ferrari like Michael Schumacher, but veteran journalist Joe Saward offered an insight into the latest speculation.
"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," he wrote.
"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.
"[It would be] 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."
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Perhaps indicating that there is more to the rumour than just words, Saward even put forward a list of potential replacements.
"The names that have been circulating, for now, are those of Sergio Perez, Kevin Magnussen, Romain Grosjean and Valtteri Bottas."
