No favouritism at Mercedes

Mercedes principal Toto Wolff will let Lewis Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas battle it out over the remaining four grands prix, with the constructors’ title won. The Brackley-based marque made it six consecutive constructors’ titles when Bottas took the chequered flag in Japan and Hamilton came home third. It was the Finnish flyer’s third race win of the year, with Hamilton claiming nine en route to what will surely be his sixth drivers’ crown. Bottas is 64 points behind as the high-octane sport moves to Mexico and Wolff has made it clear that neither driver will receive any preferential treatment during the rest of the campaign. “We have to stay true to the values we have defined in the past and always played the most fair game,” he said. “We are certainly keen on seeing them racing but you can see how difficult it is sometimes. “Valtteri is very much an outsider with the points. Two-and-a-half wins out of four races. We will give them equal opportunity and it is for them to race it out on track.”