Valtteri Bottas says he trusts Mercedes to “have respect for both drivers” if he is to take on a support role after this weekend’s Italian Grand Prix.
Bottas, in his second season with Mercedes, has yet to pick up a single victory due to a sequence of missed chances and holds only fourth in the championship.
He trails title leader and Mercedes team-mate Lewis Hamilton by 83 points, with the Briton embroiled in a close scrap with Sebastian Vettel, the pair split by just 17 points.
Mercedes boss Toto Wolff stressed after the Belgian Grand Prix that the team had not yet discussed the possibility of team orders, but will assess the situation following the upcoming Italian Grand Prix.
When asked whether such a move would affect his approach, Bottas said: “For sure it will be different, in terms of how you approach the weekend.
“But I think the team would still support both of us a lot.
“If I would have the pace to win a race, by pure speed, if I’m about to win a race, it’s up to the team to look at the situation.
“I don’t think, in any way, I would completely lose the freedom to win the race if I’m able to do so.
“It depends on the situation: if there are clear points or way to avoid me or Lewis to lose points, we’ll see how to do it.
“It will always depend on the situation and I do trust the team that they have respect for both drivers and won’t do anything too harsh.”
Mercedes is facing its biggest challenge of the hybrid era amid a renewed and sustained threat from Ferrari, with both teams having taken five wins, split by just 15 points in the standings.
Bottas added that the challenge from its rivals acts as a greater motivator and has backed the team to emerge in front.
“It definitively hasn’t changed the dynamics in the team,” he said.
“That’s actually motivating us even more than before, knowing that we need to work hard, we need to improve because we want to win.
“It’s not like this wasn’t the case before, but when the team had the best car we set our own targets for how much we needed to improve every race.
“Now the goal is simpler: a quicker car and a quicker team.
“That obviously motivates us more, but I can’t see a different spirit or different dynamics, we’re still working flat out.”
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