Mercedes to relax F1 team orders in 2016

Mercedes motorsport boss Toto Wolff says Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg will be given more freedom to race after the team orders in force since 2013 have been “reduced”.

Over that span, the double world champions have treaded the thin line between letting their drivers battle it out on equal terms and ensuring the team’s interests are safe. Mercedes’ policy is to run both drivers on fairly similar race strategies with the lead car being given priority.

However, Hamilton openly asked to be put on a different strategy in the final three races of the 2015 season, as the Briton could net get close enough to overtake team-mate Rosberg on track.

Speaking at Mercedes’ kick off ceremony in Stuttgart, Wolff explains the team will be more flexible in that respect from 2016.

“We have reduced [team orders] from last year to this year,” he said. “When we started the project in 2013, there was lot of pressure on the team in order to achieve results and win races. We have done OK. In 2014, we won the championship and we confirmed it wasn’t a one off in 2015.

“In order to contain that, we tried to put a framework around that. Sometimes it functions, sometimes it doesn’t. We’ve learned some interesting lessons, we’ve improved as an organisation.

“Lewis and Nico have been together for a couple of years. It functions pretty well. We owe it to them and we owe it to Formula One to let them race. The ride will be a bit more difficult. But I think that is absolutely necessary. I have no doubt that, they are so implemented in the team, that they understand the momentum and dynamics in the team.”

Should the bad blood between Hamilton and Rosberg spill over, Wolff warned in recent months that Mercedes would not hesitate to take swift action and let one of the drivers go. The motorsport boss says his comments were blown out of proportion and is confident such extreme situation will be avoided.

“There has been a lot of controversy made over the winter. The question I was asked in the media was if the rivalry would escalate to point where it becomes very difficult for the team, what would be the solution, my answer was then we would have to consider the line-up.

“We need to be difficult not to tweak it in the wrong side. We know there is a rivalry. We understand and appreciate there is a rivalry between the two drivers. They are fighting for the championship. This is the most important target for them. You cannot expect them to schmooze around.

“One will try to beat the other. They have great respect for the organisation behind the team, the team sticks together, Lewis and Nico are very much part of it. I have no doubt we will have some interesting moments on track, that is part of the rivalry and it is part of Formula One but all within the spirit of the team.”

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