Obeying team order shows "integrity and quality" of Bottas says Wolff

Valtteri Bottas was asked to swap around with Lewis Hamilton at the Russian Grand Prix. In the process, he sacrificed an almost certain win in what would have been his first this year. On the podium, Hamilton handed Bottas the first place trophy, only for the Finn to reject the kind gesture.

The boss, Toto Wolff, believes the decision for Bottas to obey team orders shows his "integrity and quality" as he remains proud of the unity in the Mercedes garage.

"The true strength of a team reveals itself in what individuals are prepared to sacrifice for the group," Wolff said in an interview on f1i.

Hamilton's championship lead is now up to 50 points. With just five races remaining, the British driver seemingly has one hand on the trophy. However, Wolff doesn't see it like this and is well aware of how Ferrari can pull it back.

"Our fight with Ferrari is far from being over. We can take nothing for granted, and we will stay at maximum attack on every front in the next races," Wolff added.

If Hamilton opens up the gap again in Japan, will Mercedes favour Bottas in the final four races? Let us know what you think in the comments!