Mercedes boss warns drivers again about in-team tensions
Monday 7 December 2015 16:56, UK
Toto Wolff has reiterated that Mercedes could be forced to change their driver line-up if tensions between Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg boil over.
The Silver Arrows chief warned last week that they could drop one of their drivers despite the team winning successive championship doubles.
Relations between the two drivers are reported to be at an all-time low, with the pair said to be barely speaking. There was a public showing of emotion in Austin when Hamilton and Rosberg threw the German's podium cap at each other and the world champion has since accused Mercedes of trying to keep Rosberg happy.
"If it were to become detrimental to the team that would mean that we would not maintain the long-term set-up in the team with the drivers," Wolff said at the annual Autosport Awards dinner.
"It's very important to keep the spirit within the team, and the competition between Nico and Lewis has been very fierce, very competitive at times. It's understandable because they are fighting in a car that is capable of winning the championship against each other.
"The guy in the other car cannot be your friend, but we need to be careful that it doesn't spill over on both sides of the garage. We've seen teams in the past where there is a competition being created that is not good for the dynamics within the team."
Hamilton's former boss at McLaren Ron Dennis criticised the triple champion's lifestyle outside of F1 and was adamant he wouldn't allow him to behave in such a way if he was still with the Woking squad.
However, Wolff is happy to give Hamilton freedom if he keeps delivering results.
"As long as he performs in the car, there is no problem," he said.
"We tend to put people in a box and you try to imagine how a perfect racing driver should be, how they should be in bed at 10 o'clock and not partying or flying around.
"Lewis does that and he performs at his best. Our role is to find out what environment he needs and what kind of freedom he needs."
Don't miss the F1 Midweek Report Season Review. GP2 champion Stoffel Vandoorne, former Manor president Graeme Lowdon and NBC F1 reporter Will Buxton join Natalie Pinkham to dissect 2015 on Wednesday December 9 at 8:30pm on Sky Sports F1.
