Mercedes "conscious" of managing Bottas-Hamilton relationship

Toto Wolff wants to keep the relationship between Valtteri Bottas and Lewis Hamilton the way that it is and won't let it deteriorate. Their relationship seems positive at the moment and the team don't want it to turn into something similar to the Rosberg Hamilton relationship. Wolff is aware that the competitiveness between his two drivers could easily spill over but it is something he hopes to manage.  

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

“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.”

Mercedes will hope that their drivers continue to respect each other and that they can continue to have success with both drivers.