Wolff reveals Mercedes was this close to issuing a team order in Belgium

In the final laps of the Belgian Grand Prix, Lewis Hamilton was on George Russell's tail. Oscar Piastri, meanwhile, was also getting dangerously close, threatening a difficult situation for Mercedes. Team boss Toto Wolff indicates to, among others GPblog that he was relieved when the race was over.

Russell crossed the finish line first but eventually had to cede his victory to teammate Hamilton as his Formula 1 car proved too light. Even before the disqualification, Wolff interacted with the media present at Spa-Francorchamps and explained how the race went for his team.

Hamilton drove within DRS distance of Russell for laps but did not pass him. Meanwhile, Piastri was approaching with great strides in his McLaren. Wolff was not considering team orders at the time but admits he might have if the race had lasted longer.

"If we had one more lap, that could have been a consideration," acknowledges the 52-year-old Austrian. "But I'm happy that we didn't have to make a swap." In the end, Piastri finished third, just behind Hamilton. Both drivers gained a place due to the disqualification of Russell, whose F1 car was found to be one-and-a-half kilograms too light when weighed by the FIA. Meanwhile, Mercedes has an inkling of what caused that.

Whereas a one-stop for Russell - who suggested the idea himself - turned out to be a successful strategy, the team did not see the same tactic as an option for Hamilton. "As a driver, you don't have the full picture because he said his tyres were good. But at that time nobody was on a one-stop strategy," Wolff explained.