SPIELBERG (AUSTRIA) - Mercedes may have to review their driving line-up and consider that it is impractical to have Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg in the same team, Red Bull boss Christian Horner said.
Mercedes drivers Nico Rosberg (left) and Lewis Hamilton
In the aftermath of Sunday’s last lap collision between the two Mercedes drivers, Horner said Mercedes have to consider if they have become an untenable pairing.
"Longer term, how tenable is it for that pairing to continue as a team?" said Horner.
"While they are in the situation that they are in, with the competitiveness they have, these issues are not going to be isolated to this race.
"But then that is an attractive element for the sport. When you do have a dominant car, it's great to have the guys going head to head."
Horner had his own experience of trying to manage two strong and ambitious drivers when he had four-time champion Sebastian Vettel and Mark Webber in his Red Bull outfit.
"It's enormously difficult, because no matter how much those guys say they are team players, they are contractors and they are racing for themselves," he said.
"They are going for the biggest prize in motorsport so, inevitably, they will do what is right for them at the end of the day.
"I'm sure it won't be the only one during the rest of the year."
Mercedes team chief Toto Wolff said he will hold meetings to consider the introduction of team orders ahead of this week’s upcoming British Grand Prix.
Horner said he believes that is unnecessary.
"They have sufficient margin on the rest of the field, why do they need to consider that?" said Horner.
"It creates interest in Formula One, it's good for F1 to have two team-mates that may not be the best of mates."
Following Hamilton’s victory in Austria, the three-time champion trails Rosberg by only 11 points ahead of the British Grand Prix.