Mercedes boss Toto Wolff has said that the battle between his drivers, Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg will not boil over. Also stating that both drivers will be allowed to fight head-to-head for the drivers championship on track once the constructors title for the team has been sealed.
Rosberg currently leads the championship by just 11 points from Hamilton with Red Bull’s Daniel Ricciardo just a further 60 points behind Hamilton. The Australian is the only driver to pick up a win this season, other than the two Mercedes men.
Although both drivers are battling for the title, Wolff said that data is still shared between both drivers to maximise the teams chances of securing the constructors title as soon as they can.
Wolff has said that this will most likely change when the teams title is secured.
“Yes, potentially it is going to get more heated, but if we carry on in performing as we do now I am still carefully optimistic that it is only up to the two of them in fighting for the World Championship,” he told the official Formula 1 website.
“Then we get to a situation where we could discuss if we want to maintain the way we work with each other. Do we think it is beneficial for the car, the team, and both sides of the garage? Or do we want to recalibrate a little bit, because it is about the two of them and one remaining World Championship?’ That is a question mark – I don’t know, because I haven’t been there yet. It is new ground.”
There have been times this season when both Hamilton and Rosberg have made controversial statements to the media and Wolff has said that he has spoken to both drivers on the matter.
“For the drivers, it is about the Drivers’ World Championship, but nevertheless you have to understand that there is a big organisation behind them – one of the biggest and most well-known brands in the world – and sometimes the team comes first,” he said.
“That is clear and both of them acknowledge and accept that. This is very important. They recognise the historic achievements of Mercedes-Benz in motorsport, and they put their own place in the right context.”
Both drivers have provided strong racing for the fans to enjoy, whilst battling way out at the lead of the pack.
“I think it was very beneficial for Formula One and for Mercedes. We all loved the race, even if I got a couple of grey hairs during it,” he said. “There is much more than our own little sporting agenda. There is F1 as a sport; the fans; the brands we represent.
“I think we owe it to everyone to let them race, especially in a season when it is our two cars battling out front. I could be very short-sighted and say I want to win the Drivers’ and Constructors’ titles, and this is how we do it: team orders, don’t crash into each other, and carry it on like it was always done. But we are going into new ground.
“Until now it has functioned really well. Could it come to a point where we say it is difficult to manage? It could be, but I don’t see it – not with the two of them.”
