Mercedes chiefs disagree over team orders

A debate is raging inside Mercedes.

The dominant German team declared proudly after the Bahrain grand prix that letting Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg go wheel-to-wheel in a thrilling battle was the right decision for the sport.

But on Thursday, boss Toto Wolff has been quoted as saying team orders might soon have to come into play.

The Austrian told the BBC that Bahrain was "a very particular situation", due to Mercedes’ dominance.

But "The narrower the margin gets, the more you have to look out," said Wolff.

"Our rule is that the competition is enemy number one, not your teammate, so there might be situations in the race where you have to consider that, but we will see what happens," he added.

Mercedes team chairman Niki Lauda, however, told British television Sky in China last Sunday that he fundamentally disagrees with "Toto and Paddy".

Paddy Lowe is another team boss at the Brackley based team.

Lauda said: "They (Hamilton and Rosberg) are racing drivers. Leave them alone, unless they hit. Which they won’t."