Lewis Hamilton has ‘zero problems’ with Mercedes and Valtteri Bottas

Three-time world champion Hamilton recently spoke out against the practice of team-mates being able to scour each other's data after practice and qualifying sessions.

"I go out, do my laps, do all my homework - the other guy can see everything," Hamilton said in an online interview for UBS. "I don't think they should do that. I have asked my team, I don't want to see my team mate's."

"I don't feel it's fair that he brings his 'A' game and I should be able to study his 'A' game on a computer."

And in a series of tweets on Monday morning, Hamilton said his viewpoint does not mean he has an issue with his team or Bottas, who replaced the outgoing world champion, Nico Rosberg, at Mercedes.

Hamilton's fractious relationship with former team-mate Rosberg is well documented, so will a new pairing in the Mercedes paddock signal a new 'cold war' in the garage?

"I'm not against team engineers sharing data, but I think the drivers shouldn't be able to study each other's data," Hamilton insisted.

"There are times where, because you only have a limited amount of time and we have all these things we can change, sometimes you just decide to go the wrong way and start on the wrong foot.

"Unless you go back and go the direction the teams other car is going, you're just lost, there's just nothing you can do. Those are some times things you have to do, and I think for a team going forwards that's not a bad thing."