Mercedes plan fresh F1 driver talks as new obstacle appears

Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff has stated he will enter discussions with his drivers over how the squad manages races when another party is involved in the fight.

The Brackley-based squad enjoyed a dominant opening six rounds to the season as it stretched its legs over the competition to commence the season unbeaten.

However, it was toppled for the first time last weekend in Barcelona as Lewis Hamilton claimed his maiden victory for Ferrari.

Mercedes was forced to react to Hamilton's early pit stop in the race, but it generated complaints from George Russell who felt it opened the door to a better strategy for his team-mate Kimi Antonelli.

The duo would later go wheel-to-wheel in the race before Antonelli retired with a power unit issue.

But with Mercedes finally feeling pressure from another team this year, Wolff has suggested it may need to alter its approach going forward.

“George had an unbelievable beginning of the race, it looked like everybody was standing still behind him,” Wolff told media including RacingNews365.

“But then the pace fell away, and the other stints and towards the end of the first, Kimi had the advantage.

“We didn't interfere in them fighting because that's how we've always raced.

“But it's a situation we need to look into for the future with both drivers, how to handle a situation where there's a pace differential if we are fighting for a victory or the risk of losing a victory.

“That's going to be an interesting discussion, but always totally transparent to the best interest of the team.”

Ferrari's substantial upgrade package brought it into the fight in Barcelona, with Wolff expecting the Italian squad to maintain its presence at the front of the field in the coming rounds.

As the team ushers to deal with the new threat, Wolff is not expecting to face any difficulties from the drivers.

“We have always said that there is a third party now getting involved in the championship fight, constructor and driver,” he said.

“In that respect, we will discuss internally with the two drivers, how we want to handle a situation where we risk holding each other up.

 “It's not going to be a problem, it's just maybe we need to recalibrate.”