Mercedes will not change approach after Hungary swap

Mercedes boss Toto Wolff has said that the team will not change its approach going forward, despite the controversy of swapping its drivers at the Hungarian Grand Prix. During the race, Lewis Hamilton felt he was being held back by teammate Valtteri Bottas and consequently allowing the Ferrari's ahead to build out a gap.

Hamilton was let by and went onto close in on Kimi Raikkonen, but couldn't get by. At the final corner of the race, Hamilton slowed to let Bottas back through who was several seconds behind. Mercedes defended the decision post-race but hoped that it would not come back to haunt them.

"I would do it again," Wolff said to Gazzetta dello Sport. "A man is a man, a word is a word. Hamilton wanted to see if he could make the Ferrari drivers nervous and if he could pass them. He slowed himself down to drop behind Valtteri. So what's done is done. The danger is, of course, that we will lose these three points at the end of the season. If so, then we got caught up with this approach. But that does not mean we will change our approach."

Fergal Walsh