Vettel fends off Mercedes switch rumours

Sebastian Vettel says he "will not be distracted" amid speculation he could be first in line for a move to Mercedes for 2018.

Mercedes signed up Valtteri Bottas only for this year, with team boss Toto Wolff admitting quadruple world champion Vettel "would fit" at the German team.

Vettel said he is not surprised about the rumours, given his own expiring contract.

"I understand if from the outsider’s perspective," the Ferrari driver is quoted by Germany’s Auto Bild.

"But at the moment, my only goal is to keep moving forwards with Ferrari, and I will not be distracted from that. To succeed, every single step must be taken.

"There is no shortcut to success," Vettel insisted.

However, Vettel did say he can imagine spending the rest of his career at Ferrari, as it is "more than a mere racing team".

But he insisted he is "Not thinking about" contractual matters at the moment.

F1 pundit Marc Surer, however, said Vettel could start to think about it later in 2017.

"If his third year at Ferrari doesn’t lead to success, he is on the market," the former F1 driver predicted to German broadcaster Sky.