It’s not often Lewis Hamilton is tempted to give up in Formula 1. He nearly did just that Sunday, discussing with his Mercedes team over the radio whether it would be best to retire the car as his Qatar Grand Prix went from bad to worse.

A Formula 1 world champion has delivered his verdict on the possibility of Lewis Hamilton opting to make an early exit from Mercedes . His comments come in the wake of last weekend's Qatar Grand Prix, where the 39-year-old laboured to a 12th-place finish.

Lewis Hamilton's struggles at Mercedes are not giving his future employers Ferrari any concern, according to team boss Fred Vasseur.