Lewis Hamilton is Mercedes' best chance at beating Sebastian Vettel to the 2017 title and therefore he must be prioritised over team-mate Valtteri Bottas according to Mercedes non-executive chairman Niki Lauda.
Hamilton's latest victory at Spa has put him just seven points adrift of leader Vettel, whilst Bottas sits 41 points down on the lead.
Although Mercedes boss Toto Wolff is keen to continue treating both drivers equally, Lauda says the time has come to prioritise Hamilton.
"This giving away of points must stop now," the Austrian three-time champion said, referring to Hungary when Hamilton let Bottas back past, which cost him three points.
Related: Bottas insists he's still in the championship fight, but would understand need for team orders
"I was champion by half a point, so I know exactly how important every single point is when you count them in the end.
"I know exactly what we need to do. Bottas did not have a strong weekend at Spa so it is already clear that Lewis has a better chance for the championship.
"If Lewis had not given away those three points in Budapest, he would now be only four points behind Vettel," Lauda added.
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