Hamilton surprised at lack of Ferrari team orders

Lewis Hamilton says he is surprised that Ferrari have not employed team orders on Kimi Raikkonen to aid Sebastian Vettel's title bid as Mercedes continue to wrestle with the controversy of ordering Valtteri Bottas aside to hand Hamilton victory in Russia last weekend.

Bottas qualified on pole and led the opening part of the race, but was sacrificed in favour of Hamilton after Mercedes reported that the Brit had suffered tyre damage in an on-track fight with Vettel.

The German has not benefitted from such treatment, and a battle with Raikkonen on the first lap in Italy ultimately left Vettel at the mercy of Hamilton, who completed a brave passing move that sent the Ferrari into a costly spin.

Ferrari built a ruthless reputation during Michael Schumacher's dominant years, with Eddie Irvine and Rubens Barrichello operating as subservient number-two drivers, and Hamilton is surprised by the apparent change of ethos.

"We've only had team orders in one race, but we have worked as a team in others," said Hamilton.

"So there have been times when Valtteri hasn't be in the top five and there has been a Ferrari, me and a Ferrari – and the Ferraris have worked together. The way they will do that is that they will stop one car, which means that I will have to stop.

"So they will work as a team in certain part of the years. But in crucial points like in Monza they haven't. And is that a surprise? Yeah. They have done that in the past, so why they have changed I don't know. But it is not my problem."

Vettel was unmoved when asked to explain why Ferrari had not operated with a degree more of ruthlessness in 2018.

"Generally, I think it is a sensitive topic or subject, obviously for the reasons that we have seen after last weekend," he said.

"I don't think we have been in the same position as they have, probably, during the race, so I think it is more a question for the team and not for me."

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