Mercedes will prioritise Hamilton over Bottas - Massa

Recently retired Formula One star Felipe Massa is convinced that Mercedes will prioritise the needs of Lewis Hamilton next year as the Silver Arrows and their driver attempt to retain the constructor's and driver's world championships respectively in the upcoming 2018 campaign.

Hamilton won his fourth title this past year and Mercedes won their fourth constructor's title in a row. In 2016, Hamilton had a prickly relationship with then-team-mate Nico Rosberg who went on to win the title, with the Mercedes duo regularly arguing on and off the circuit, but since the Finn was replaced by Valtteri Bottas at the start of the last season, things have gone smoothly for the Silver Arrows.

Due to the recent success, Massa thinks Mercedes will continue to treat Hamilton as their number one driver over Bottas, despite historically treating their drivers equally.

“Next year the team is completely on his side 100 percent,” Massa told Motorsport.com.

“So he has no issue with his teammate like he had maybe before [with Nico Rosberg].

“So many things are really on his side and he can just make himself better and better all the time.”

Massa and Hamilton were involved in an entertaining battle to claim the 2008 world championship which the Englishman went on to win, but there appears to be respect between the duo as Massa was full of praise for the performance of the Mercedes man in 2017.

“Hamilton did the perfect job,” the Brazilian continued.

“He had some little issues in some races at the beginning of the season. He was just not on the pace and struggling with some stuff around the car, but I think they sorted it out.

“He is really doing an amazing job and having fun racing. So he is just getting the best out of it. He deserves everything that he has managed to achieve.

“This year, he made himself into a driver who has nothing to lose compared to any driver in the history.”