Susie to Toto: You think you can fool us?

Toto Wolff has admitted Mercedes intentionally attempted to trick Williams into making an early pit-stop during the British Grand Prix by sending its mechanics out, a move that drew the ire of his wife Susie Wolff.

Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg ran third and fourth behind Williams' Felipe Massa and Valtteri Bottas during the early stages of the Silverstone race, with Mercedes employing tactics to try and get the better of their rivals.

It did this by sending its mechanics into the pit lane to set up for a pit-stop, in an attempt to make Williams react by doing the same with one of their drivers. However, Williams didn't react and the Mercedes mechanics returned to the pit lane.

Though this has prompted some to question the legality of the move, particularly as the regulations state mechanics should not be in the pit lane unless they are there for a reason, Wolff insists it was merely 'a bit of a game'.

"We know that Williams has more difficulties in keeping the tyres until the end and we knew that triggering an early stop on lap 18 would make them think if they were able to do that and trigger them into a pit stop that would have caused them problems at the end. So it was a bit of a game, which didn't function."

Furthermore, as well as the ploy failing to work, Toto says it may have landed him in hot water with his wife and Williams test driver Susie, who in turn made no secret of her allegiance as she cheered on her team-mates when they snatched the lead.

"My wife sent me a Whatsapp saying: "You guys think you can fool us? Hahaha". So it was worth at least the entertainment."

The regulation stipulates exactly that "Team personnel are only allowed in the pit lane immediately before they are required to work on a car and must withdraw as soon as the work is complete."

Whilst this could be considered as fairly clear-cut, a punishment - at least one that would alter the result of the race - isn't seemingly being considered since there is no way of determining if the pit-stop was for Hamilton or Rosberg, while the fact Williams didn't bite meant it had no bearing on the result.

A firm 'reminder' however, may well be in order then, though Susie has at least forgiven Toto after tweeting a picture of the two together as they prepared to share an Indian after the race...