Should events during the season warrant the need for team orders, Valtteri Bottas would comply but the Finn insists he is not the 'number 2' driver at Mercedes.

While he was edged out by Lewis Hamilton in Australian, Bottas put in a solid performance in Melbourne, following his team mate past the checkered flag in third place on his Mercedes debut.

With a just a one-year contract with the German squad, Bottas is viewed by many has an interim solution for Mercedes which hopes it could lure either Sebastian Vettel or Fernando Alonso into racing a Silver Arrows in 2018.

Bottas disagrees however with the perception that he is a mere interim servant to the man sitting on the other side of the garage.

"We have made it clear from the beginning that Lewis and I get to race in every situation," he told Finnish broadcaster MTV.

"Only if there are different tactics or a problem, then perhaps the team will give an order.  But in general we are allowed to race, as long as it is done honestly and without colliding with each other.

"Our philosophy is that we are racing, and that's how it should be," Bottas added.

So the former Williams driver insists that, if an order from the pitwall does come during a race, he will obey it.

"If there is an order that you have to let your teammate past, it's the worst thing a racing driver can hear," said Bottas.

"But there would always be a reason, which is why there is also a manufacturers' championship.  I also have a goal of a long-term future with Mercedes, and I have always been loyal to the teams I drive for," he added.

GALLERY: F1 drivers' wives and girlfriends

Keep up to date with all the F1 news via Facebook and Twitter

Michael Delaney

Recent Posts

Marko: ‘No chance at all’ for Red Bull in Las Vegas

Helmut Marko believes that Red Bull and Max Verstappen are unlikely to challenge for victory…

6 hours ago

GM revives bid to join F1 with accelerated talks for 2026 entry

Automotive giant General Motors is reportedly back in the game as a potential entrant in…

8 hours ago

Las Vegas GP: Thursday's action in pictures

The opening day of running at the Las Vegas GP was a smooth but chilly…

9 hours ago

Williams' headaches persist into Vegas practice

Williams is continuing to fight uphill battles this weekend in Las Vegas as a knock-on…

10 hours ago

Ferrari's Sainz 'not satisfied with where we are' in Vegas

It was a solid start to the Las Vegas weekend for Ferrari with Carlos Sainz…

11 hours ago

Norris labels McLaren long-run pace ‘shocking’ in chilly Vegas

Lando Norris didn’t hold back in his assessment of McLaren’s performance on the opening day…

12 hours ago