Team orders are 'not cool', says Wolff

Toto Wolff has insisted that Mercedes did have a conversation about potentially issuing team orders for the Italian Grand Prix, but ultimately decided against utilising Valtteri Bottas to aid Lewis Hamilton's pursuit of the victory, with the Silver Arrows boss calling the orders "not cool".

Hamilton and Vettel are engrossed in a fierce championship battle, with the former currently holding a 30-point lead over the Ferrari driver following the Italian GP in which Hamilton claimed the flag.

Mercedes decided against issuing team orders in Monza, but they were provided with a slice of luck when Vettel, who started on the grid in the first row, dropped back after a clash with Hamilton.

Wolff's team took advantage as Hamilton won and Bottas finished third, having gone for the win himself without taking a back seat to his partner.

“Valtteri’s strategy not only worked for Lewis with keeping Kimi behind, but it also worked for Valtteri,” Wolff said. “We knew that we had to keep him out long because we lost a position already to Verstappen.

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“We needed to keep him out long to create the largest possible tyre offset at the end of the race. Keeping him out was his best shot of the podium."

The Mercedes team boss then reiterated his dislike for team orders.

“I don’t really like team orders, they are not cool, not good for the sport or for either driver, " Wolff continued.

"Lewis doesn’t want to have anything gifted and Valtteri doesn’t want to give anything up. We are looking at it from race-to-race. We discussed it this morning, various scenarios and there was no necessity today. We will see what happens in Singapore. I want to push that moment back as far as possible.”