'Zero problems with Bottas over data-sharing,' says Hamilton

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In an online interview with UBS on Saturday, Lewis Hamilton said he was unhappy with the current practice of sharing data among team mates.

The Brit argued that a driver's hard work and choices should remain exclusive, and that there was no reason to make life easier for a newcomer or incoming team mate.

The comments apparently struck a dissonant chord at Mercedes with its start driver clarifying his comments on Twitter this morning.

"I wish to clarify, I have not hit out at my team at all," he wrote.

"My point on data sharing is solely my feelings about the sport in general. It has been my feeling since the day I started F1 and still is 10 years later.

"There is zero problems in my team, zero problems with Bottas."

Wolff: Bottas ticks all the right boxes for us

It's actually hard to follow Hamilton's stance on a sport which has a crucial team element baked into it by manufacturers spending huge budgets on achieving success for their brand.

Sharing data will indeed perhaps profit the driver sitting on the other side of the garage, but it also helps move an entire team forward, for everyone's benefit.

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Phillip van Osten

Motor racing was a backdrop from the outset in Phillip van Osten's life. Born in Southern California, Phillip grew up with the sights and sounds of fast cars thanks to his father, Dick van Osten, an editor and writer for Auto Speed and Sport and Motor Trend. Phillip's passion for racing grew even more when his family moved to Europe and he became acquainted with the extraordinary world of Grand Prix racing. He was an early contributor to the monthly French F1i Magazine, often providing a historic or business perspective on Formula 1's affairs. In 2012, he co-authored along with fellow journalist Pierre Van Vliet the English-language adaptation of a limited edition book devoted to the great Belgian driver Jacky Ickx. He also authored "The American Legacy in Formula 1", a book which recounts the trials and tribulations of American drivers in Grand Prix racing. Phillip is also a commentator for Belgian broadcaster Be.TV for the US Indycar series.