Wolff snaps at Rosberg and Lewis to show he’s top dog

NOW we will see who wears the trousers in the Mercedes team. Is it Toto Wolff, who yesterday threatened to axe his millionaire drivers if they collide again? Or is it Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg, who shrugged at the very notion? The answer may come as soon as Sunday’s British Grand Prix if the two drivers are dicing for the lead. Yesterday’s story from Mercedes, a team adept at making a PR mountain out of a molehill, was that Hamilton (below) and Rosberg were handed new typed copies of the Rules of Engagement, following their collision in Austria a week ago. Three crashes in one season is too much for the corporate world of Mercedes, even if the public are enjoying it. Wolff and Co have cogitated all week about what to do and called the drivers together at their Brackley HQ. Mercedes resisted imposing ‘team orders’ but explained in a statement: ‘Our drivers were informed that they remain free to race for the world championship. ‘This is the essence of Formula One, including between team-mates. We want to see them racing, and so do the fans. ‘However, this freedom comes with a duty for our drivers to respect team values. In five races, there have been three incidents which cost us over 50 points in the constructors’ championship. ‘We have therefore strengthened our Rules of Engagement to include much greater deterrents against contact between our cars. ‘We will trust our drivers to manage the situation between them on track. Their destiny is in their own hands.’ The line ‘much greater deterrents’ was Wolff making it clear that his men had received a ‘yellow card’ and that any further transgression would be punished. It was clear code for saying they could be dropped. Hamilton, asked if he knew what the deterrents were, said, almost with a sigh: ‘Yeah.’ Asked if the deterrents were scary, he replied. ‘I should say, yes.’ Rosberg, speaking later, was told that Wolff had just said he had issued a final warning to the pair. ‘A final warning,’ smiled Rosberg. ‘That doesn’t sound good. Thank you for letting me know.’