Mercedes won’t allow Hamilton-Bottas harmony to deteriorate

Mercedes is determined to maintain the current harmony that exits within its Formula 1 driver line-up in a bid to avoid another destructive breakdown.

Former teammates Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg endured a fractious relationship as the pair solely battled for three consecutive world championships titles between them during Mercedes’ early domination of the V6 hybrid era.

There were a number of flashpoints between Hamilton and Rosberg before the latter retired from the sport having pipped Hamilton to claim his maiden crown in 2016. Valtteri Bottas was drafted in from Williams to replace Rosberg and while the relationship between the two has been largely respectful, Mercedes remains wary of things deteriorating amid another close intra-team title fight.

Bottas and Hamilton have won two races apiece from the opening four rounds of 2019, with Bottas currently holding a one-point advantage over Hamilton in the standings. Mercedes boss Toto Wolff admits the team’s start to the season “reminds me a little bit of the situation” that ultimately led to the fallout between its previous driver pairing.

“You have two drivers that have the ambition and the ability to win a championship,” Wolff said.

“It’s up to us together with them to be very aware of that situation and remember that very quickly Vettel or Leclerc could be back into the game, that we mustn’t be carried away with the four first results.

“There are 21 races to do and definitely the relationship matters in order to avoid what we went through between Nico and Lewis.

“I think we are lucky that they have a very good relationship,” he added. “They get on with each other. There is not a lot of games in the background, and I am very happy about that.

“But as a matter of fact you have to be conscious. We have seen a relationship deteriorate. Both of the drivers have an ambition to win the championship.”

Wolff said he does not want his drivers to lose their competitive nature but warned that a repeat of the fallout between Rosberg and Hamilton would lead Mercedes to punishing its drivers by issuing “yellow and red cards”.

“We want them to be feisty in the car - lions in the car - so you can’t expect the behaviour of a sheep. But equally the respect needs to stay in there,” Wolff explained.

“We are very strong as a team and we wouldn’t allow a relationship between drivers to deteriorate to a point that it has a negative effect on the team.

“If that would ever be the case again after Nico and Lewis, we will issue yellow and red cards. But we are not there.”