JOIN USDominant Mercedes are ready to read the riot act, even as they celebrate a perfect season so far, if their fractious drivers overstep the mark in an increasingly intense fight for the Formula One title.
After a Monaco Grand Prix weekend marked by the souring of relations between Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg, Mercedes motorsport boss Toto Wolff said the tensions between the two would be kept in check.
"I think they are probably exploring how far you can step up above the line and what the consequences are," the Austrian told reporters after Rosberg ended Hamilton's streak of four wins in a row with his own second victory of the season.
"Isn't that normal? You have a chance of winning the championship and as long as it is not detrimental to the team spirit, as long as it is not underhand, we will handle the situation in the way we did before.
"The moment it goes in the direction where we believe it is not the spirit of Mercedes Benz we will act accordingly."
Rosberg's win came after a controversial Saturday, with Hamilton suggesting the German had literally pulled a fast one by stopping on track in the closing seconds of qualifying and denying him pole.
The top slot on the grid is more important than anywhere in Monaco, where drivers struggle to overtake on the tight and twisty streets, and victory allowed Rosberg to seize back the overall lead in the championship.