F1: Hamilton - Team warning won't change anything

Lewis Hamilton says the beefed-up deterrents set out by the Mercedes Formula 1 team following his latest clash with Nico Rosberg "doesn't really change anything."

F1's reigning constructors' champion elected not to introduce team orders after the pair collided last weekend in Austria, but announced on Thursday that it had "strengthened our rules of engagement to include much greater deterrents."

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Accepting that he was clear on what those deterrents are, Hamilton is glad that Mercedes did not add team orders, which had been threatened by boss Toto Wolff.

"Destiny has always been in our hands so it doesn't really change anything," he said. "I'm still able to race, which is positive.

"No team orders, which is great for the fans, so I'm think everyone should be excited."

When asked about Mercedes' new guidelines for racing with Rosberg – with his first-lap moves at Suzuka and Austin in 2015 cited as examples for how they might work – Hamilton said: "Everything that has been said is private and confidential. We're still able to race.

"In all of those races, the stewards deemed it racing, so I can still race like that."

RACING BACKGROUND WOULD HELP AS A TEAM BOSS

When asked what his reaction to the collisions would have been as a team boss, Hamilton outlined that he felt he would "be in a better position to understand the situation as I know what I would do."

"As I'm a racing driver, I know what I would and wouldn't do on a race track," he said. "For individuals who don't race, it's difficult to understand decisions we take when racing at 200mph. I would want them to race, I wouldn't bring in team orders, because racing is why I would be there.

"I don't know how many collisions we've had, it's a small amount compared to the numbers of 1-2s we've had."

Originally on Autosport.com