Charles Leclerc said it has "been a huge honour" to be team-mates with Sebastian Vettel, despite some "tense moments on tracks" with the departing Ferrari driver.

Vettel will leave the Scuderia at the end of the 2020 season with the German citing "no clear desire" between himself and the team to extend his stay in an announcement on Tuesday.

Leclerc outperformed his more experienced team-mate in his debut campaign with Ferrari in 2019, finishing fourth in the drivers' standings, one place above Vettel.

The Monegasque’s clear reluctance to play second fiddle led to reports of a fraught relationship.

It was a situation which came to a head at the Brazilian Grand Prix when Vettel was unhappy to be passed by Leclerc and the two collided to end their respective races.

But Leclerc took to Twitter to pay tribute to Vettel, whose next move in Formula One remains unclear.

"It's been a huge honour for me to be your team-mate," he wrote.

"We've had some tense moments on tracks. Some very good ones and some others that didn't end as we both wanted, but there was always respect, even though it wasn't perceived this way from the outside. 

"I've never learnt so much as I did with you as my team-mate. Thank you for everything Seb."