Max Verstappen had looked favourite for pole position after dominatin💙g the weekend up until qualifying, but Mercedes upstaged Red Bull in Q3 as Valtteri Bottas le𒉰d a surprise 1-2 ahead of teammate Lewis Hamilton. 

Hamilton is 12 points behind Red Bull’s championship leader Verstappen, who will start just b🥀ehind him on the grid iꦏn third.

With just five races remaining and every point crucial in the final outcome of this year’🦋s title fight, Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff admitted his side may resort to asking Bottas to give up a potential winꦺ if finds himself leading Hamilton in the race. 

But first, the Me♛rcedes pair will have the task of fending off the attacking Red Bulls of Verstappen and Sergio Perez, both of whom will benefit from the tow down the long drag to Turn 1. 

“Most important is to stay ahead at the start,” Wolff said. “From there, it is easier toও manage the race.” 

Asked if the prospect of team orders had been discussed, Wolff replied: “No, we haven’t discussed, because we felt that we were not in a position to consider to talk about, it would have been such a lo⛦ng shot, talking about the victory before qualifying. 

“Obviously the situation is꧅ different now, and we are going to address it tomorrow morning, like we always do in the stဣrategy meeting.” 

Wolff has made it clear he does not like team orders but is fully aware Hamilton needs every poi𝓰nt possible in his championship battle against Verstappen. 

"I’m a race𝕴r, and I feel that such discussion is something that is always just disappointing in a way, but sometimes the circumstances oblige that,” he exꦉplained.

“But we will address it an🐻d discuss it first with Valtteri and Lewis, because they’re both involved in such discussion, and then see whether the race scenario actually obliges us to make any such call.” 

Bottas hopes to find himself in a position to win but said he is ready to play the team game and support📖 Hamilton’s title bid if nee🦹ded. 

"You never know what the race situation will be,” the Finn said. “I still am 100 per cent sure that there could be a circumstanc꧙e where I could still win the race and 🧜I believe in that and I hope for that.

"But if not then I will support Lewi🎃s and get the maximum points for us as a team."

🉐Meanwhile, Hamilton said he will look to work together with Bottas at the start in order to try and ke💫ep both Red Bull cars behind them. 

"Track position is pretty important heꦿre so we’ll work as a team to battle that and try and keep it,” the seven-time world champion said. 

"Obv🍎io🎐usly in Russia there’s a lot more drag and tow effect, here there’s less, obviously still is a tow effect. 

“We’ll work as a team to try and hold a 1-2 for the teamꦯ.”