Merce﷽des Formula 1 non-executive chairman Niki Lauda has conf🦩irmed that talks were held with Ferrari's Sebastian Vettel over a 2018 race seat, but ended "a couple of months ago".

Ferrari announced on Saturday morning that Vettel had signed a new three-year💧 contract, takin⛎g him to the end of the 2020 season at Maranello.

Vettel had been linked with a move to Mercedes for 2018 while he w✅as a free agent, with the defending champion team having a seat available alongside Le✨wis Hamilton.

Speaking to Sky Sports F1, Lauda revealed that talks had taken place between M🅰ercedes and Ferrari, but broke down as V𓆏ettel found his car to become more and more competitive in his bid for a fifth F1 world title.

“We discussed brie🅷fly once with him, but the more the competitive the Ferrari goes the less the reason he would t🍎o leave,” Lauda said.

“So theref𝕴ore we🐟 stopped it right away, 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 better p♉osition. 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 aft💮er an impressive start🃏 to life with the German manufacturer.