Sebastian Vettel has brus♌hed off rumours he could retire from Formula 1 at the end of the 2019 season, saying they had been made up.

Vettel, ꦆ31, has not won aꦦ world championship since 2013, finishing as runner-up to Lewis Hamilton for each of the past two years.

The German’s wait for a fifth title currently looks set to continue in 2019 after a difficult start to ༺the year for Ferrari has left Vettel over 50 points behind early points leader Hamilton.

Rumours emerged following last⛎ month’s Monaco Grand Prix that Vettel was considering retiring from F💞1 at the end of the 2019 season despite having one year to run on his Ferrari contract.

Asked about the rumours, Vettel explained that he “never said🐈 anything like it”.

“I don’t know where it has come from,” he said.

“I think I can stop whenever I want and the team can probably kick me out whenever they want, but I am very happy with the team and I hope the team is happy with myself𓄧.

“I am very hungry and I have a mission here to win. That is the only thing th💝at really matters to me, to win with Ferrari a🐬nd that is what I am working for.

“I don’t know who, well ultimately, made it 🅺up. I don’t think I ever said anything that would lead to that conclusion.

“I am not really bothered. I understand that some parওt of your job is to try and not make things up, but try and come up with something interesting.

“But it doesn’t bother me. Do wha🐻t you want, and I will do what I want."