Lewis Hamilton hopes Mercedes boss won’t resort to team orders after Nico Rosberg collision

Lewis Hamilton is confident Mercedes will not resort to team orders despite his late collision with team-mate Nico Rosberg for the second time in five races.

The duo came together in the final stages of the Austrian Grand Prix, which Hamilton won. The Brit took the lead from Rosberg but the German damaged his car in the process to drop down to fourth, denying the team their third one-two of the season. It left Mercedes boss Toto Wolff fuming and threatening the introduction of team orders at Hamilton’s home race, the British Grand Prix, on Sunday. But Hamilton said: “We never want to see team orders and Toto has been great these past few years allowing us to race.

“The team want to finish first and second, that’s our goal. I want to be at the front of that. I’m fighting for the world championship and I’m going to keep fighting.”

Wolff has already threatened to read the riot act to his drivers, who also collided on the opening lap of the Spanish Grand Prix in May leading to a double race retirement.

Wolff and Mercedes have been praised for leaving their drivers to battle it out despite a series of clashes in recent seasons and the fracturing of their friendship. But he has threatened to perform a U-turn in the build-up to Silverstone.

“The only consequence is to look at all the options and one is to freeze [positions],” he said. “It’s unpopular, it makes me puke because I like to see them race but, if racing is not possible without contact, that’s the consequence.”

Rosberg was blamed for causing the collision by stewards and was given a 10-second penalty, which did not affect the standings. Stewards castigated him for not allowing Hamilton sufficient “racing room” after the German had made a slight error because of brake issues, which enabled Hamilton to pass.