Audio and text commentary on the Russian Grand Prix is live on the BBC Sports website
Lewis Hamilton has decided not to get out of the fighting on the track if he believes he has a right to the corner, says Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff.
Wolff said it followed discussions about Red Bull’s title rival Max Verstappen’s aggressive approach.
“The change in approach is that Lewis pretty much decided not to get out if he thinks the corner is his,” said Wolff.
“Now it takes two to understand when a collision can be avoided.”
The two had a number of incidents and near misses during their championship bout this season.
Hamilton has pulled out of tight racing situations three times – on the opening laps of the Emilia Romagna, Spanish and Italian Grand Prix – while Verstappen fought every contested corner.
This worked for him to secure the lead at Imola and Barcelona earlier in the season, but the pair crashed in the British and Italian races when Hamilton also decided not to give up.
At Silverstone, Hamilton won the race despite a 10-second penalty for the incident, while at Monza both fell behind and Verstappen received a three-place penalty for the Russian Grand Prix that weekend.
Red Bull’s Christian Horner said he and Verstappen are discussing all incidents on the track but that he didn’t expect the Dutchman to change his approach.
“We always check every incident very carefully and look at it very carefully, and you always think to yourself: ‘Could I have done something differently? Could I have done anything better? ‘”Said Horner.
“Max is always very open to that. He is extremely critical of himself. You always learn.
“But he’s a tough racer. It’s part of his character – it’s part of why he has this.
“They know he’s going to give 110% and that affects the driver he drives because they just know he’s going to try.
“But of course there has to be moderation, and he showed that at the right time in various races this year, but it is part of his character that he is an offensive driver.
“It’s part of his makeup and I don’t think it’s going to change.”
Both men admitted that there will likely be more incidents between the two drivers in the remaining races this year.
Wolff said: “They pretty much know what they’re doing. If both wanted to avoid collisions, we would have less. If both of them think it’s right not to get out, we’ll see more.”
Horner said: “We want it to be a really competitive, clean enema by the end of the season but when they start side by side Max is a guy who’s not a guy and Lewis has proven he doesn’t want to either give everything. “
