But Merc stress they want on-track battle to continue
Tuesday 15 December 2015 10:51, UK
Toto Wolff has insisted his warning to Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg has been received and understood by his feuding drivers - with both fully aware of the consequences if it isn't.
Despite the team winning successive title doubles, Wolff has threatened to reconsider the team's driver line-up if Rosberg and Hamilton don't end their feud before it weakens the team's collective power.
"Lewis and Nico know very well what was meant," Wolff said at Mercedes' Stars & Cars event this weekend to commemorate their latest record-breaking campaign.
"The spirit within the team is essential. It makes us who we are and what we are. If there was animosity within the team that would be to the detriment of the team and if we were to recognise that we were unable to contain the competition then we would have to look at how we have set up the driver line-up for the future."
But while refusing to row back from his threat to change line-up if the simmering animosity between Hamilton and Rosberg boils over to sour the atmosphere within the world champions' garage, Wolff has stressed he wants their fierce rivalry to continue on track.
"We love the racing on track and we think that the controversy and the racing should be hard," said Wolff. "It's good for the team because it pushes us forward and keeps us out of the complacency zone. We opted for two drivers who could win the world championship. Because they are very competitive it is important to make sure it doesn't spill over into the team and cause controversy in the garage. This is one team and we move forward together."
The line between two competitive drivers engaging in a fierce fight on track while maintaining a cordial relationship off it is a fine one. But F1 is a sport of fine lines and both Hamilton and Rosberg, sitting alongside Wolff, put on a rare show of unity as they insisted they wouldn't overstep the mark.
Even the first threat of being denied access to the sport's pre-eminent car has, it seems, already proved placating.
"I hope Toto always comes back to the conclusion that it is good the way it is," declared Rosberg. "I very much agree with Nico," added Hamilton.
As the world champion quickly added, that agreement in itself may have marked a first for 2015…
