FERRARI THREAT
Sebastian Vettel’s victories may force Mercedes rethink
Formula One world champions Mercedes looks to Lewis Hamilton to lead the charge against Ferrari’s champion
Manama — Formula One world champions Mercedes have indicated they may increasingly have to favour Lewis Hamilton over new teammate Valtteri Bottas to counter the threat posed by Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel. In practice, that is likely to mean the reluctant imposition of more of the so-called "team orders" used in Sunday’s Bahrain Grand Prix. "We don’t like that, at all," team boss Toto Wolff said after Bottas twice obeyed radio instructions to let the faster Hamilton through to chase eventual winner and championship leader Vettel. "It’s not what we have done in the last couple of years but the situation is different now, so it needs a proper analysis of what it means and where we are." Mercedes have never had a designated No1 driver, and Wolff said the desire was to give both an equal opportunity at the start of the race. The team won all but two races last season but are no longer dominant. Vettel has now won two of three races and is seven points clear of Hamilton. Bottas is 23 adr...
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