Vettel victories could force a Mercedes rethink

Formula One - F1 - Bahrain Grand Prix - Sakhir, Bahrain - 16/04/17 - First place Ferrari Formula One driver Sebastian Vettel of Germany (C) holds the trophy on the podium with second place Mercedes Formula One driver Lewis Hamilton of Britain (L) and third place Mercedes Formula One driver Valtteri Bottas of Finland. REUTERS/Hamad I Mohammed

MANAMA (Reuters) - Formula One world champions Mercedes have indicated they may increasingly have to favour Lewis Hamilton over new team mate Valtteri Bottas to counter the threat posed by Ferrari's Sebastian Vettel.

In practice, that is likely to mean the reluctant imposition of more of the so-called 'team orders' used in Sunday's Bahrain Grand Prix.