Mercedes Formula 1 non-executive chairman Niki Lauda has confirmed that talꦑks were held with Ferrari's Sebastian Vettel over a 2018 race seat, but ended "a couple o⛦f months ago".

Ferrari announced on Saturda💃y morning that Vettel had signed a new three-year contract, taking him to the end of the 2020 season at Maranello.

Vettel had been linked with a move to Mercedes for 2018 while he was a free agent, ൲with the defending champion team having a seat available alongside Lewis Hamilton.

Speaking to Sky Sports F1, Lauda revealed t꧂hat talks had taken place between Mercedes and Ferrari, 🃏but broke down as Vettel found his car to become more and more competitive in his bid for a fifth F1 world title.

“We discusse🐼d briefly once with him, but the more the competitive the Ferrari goes the less the re🍒ason he would to leave,” Lauda said.

“So therefore we stopped it righ🦩t awayཧ, a couple of months ago.

"Every driver if he is clever talks to more one team so that when he negotiates he is in a b🍷ette𝐆r position. I think that is what he did."

Mercedes is still to confirm its line-up for 2018, but Valtteri Bottas is expected to receive a contract extension after an impressive start to l𒐪ife witဣh the German manufacturer.