Tension between Hamilton and Bottas? Mercedes chief Wolff believes 'disruption' will help the team

Toto Wolff is open to the stress and tension that develops within a team when both the drivers are battling for the Formula 1 world championship.

The Mercedes boss believes a little bit of disruption will make the Silver Arrows team more effective. He believes the tension is needed within the team as much as the calmness.

Lewis Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas developed a great camaraderie following the Finnish driver's arrival at the start of last season, and it was a far cry from the tense relationship between the Briton and his former teammate Nico Rosberg in the last four years.

The four-time world champion and Bottas very rarely challenged for the win during the course of the campaign and the former Williams driver was quite a long way off in the championship standings. Sebastian Vettel was Hamilton's main rival, which allowed the two drivers to enjoy a cordial relationship.

Hamilton and Rosberg, on the other hand, developed a bitter rivalry, which at times threatened to derail Mercedes' chances to win races. The team had to get involved and warn the drivers that they will be sacked if they do not respect the wishes of the team.

Wolff wants some of that intensity back as he is keen for both his drivers to fight for the title, which in turn will make them a more 'effective team'. Bottas was off the pace in 2017, but the Finn is certain to be quicker in his second season with the Silver Arrows team.

"I don't think we need to avoid a stressful situation," Wolff told Motorsport.com. "We need to acknowledge that, if two teammates can fight for race wins and a championship, that this will be a rivalry."

"And we need to be conscious and acknowledge that that is the case," he explained. "We are not trying to build a new family here, we want to be the most effective racing team, and an effective racing team needs stress, needs tension, and needs disruption as much as it needs calmness and a positive attitude and mindset."

"But like everywhere in life you want to have the mix of both, probably the recipe for success."

Meanwhile, Wolff is hoping McLaren Renault can join the fight for race wins in 2018 after predicting that Ferrari and Red Bull Racing will be their main challengers once again. The Woking based team ditched their partnership with Honda and tied up with the French manufacturer for next season and they are confident that they can be higher up the grid next season.

"We mustn't discount anybody," the Mercedes motorsport boss said, as quoted on Sky Sports. "Today, as it stands, it looks like Ferrari and Red Bull."

"I am curious to see where McLaren and Renault come out. I wouldn't write anybody off. The rules will stay the same so it could be a very competitive season."

"I guess we will see a fight between Mercedes, Ferrari and Red Bull Racing - and maybe McLaren-Renault will join us in the title fight. That is an exciting outlook for the fans," the Austrian added.