Bottas not backing up Hamilton... yet

Valtteri Bottas dismissed suggestions that he has already been deployed as Lewis Hamilton's rear-gunner in the title race after Mercedes imposed team orders on the Finn at the German Grand Prix. Bottas was instructed to "hold position" behind his team-mate at Hockenheim, allowing Hamilton to move 17 points ahead of Sebastian Vettel in the standings.

After Vettel crashed out from the lead in Germany, Bottas looked to have the greater speed at the restart and challenged Hamilton fiercely on fresher tyres.

Hamilton held onto the advantage, and Bottas revealed that he had been called off before the lap had been completed.

He does not believe it is indicative of the team's move towards favouring Hamilton, although bottas does sit 66 points adrift of his colleague beyond the half-way point of the season.

"I do believe that we are still allowed to race freely," Bottas said in Thursday's drivers' press conference.

"Obviously it goes case by case but there is no plan in place at all for me to play a support role.

"So we are still on equal terms and that is the plan for now. Hopefully that will continue for the rest of the year.

"I get why the team made the decision.

"They wanted to get the most points and I am very confident that the same call would have been made if I was in the lead at the point."