Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton has angrily hit back at Red Bull's claims that he is given priority over teammate Nico Rosberg.
The German was ordered not to overtake Hamilton in third during the Malaysian Grand Prix on Sunday in a race that saw Sebastian Vettel ignore Red Bull's instructions and pass Mark Webber on his way to victory in Sepang.
After the race, Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko claimed that the world champions operated "not like at Mercedes where there's a clear number one and number two" - a statement that has left Hamilton furious.
"That is rubbish," Hamilton told reporters. "They (Red Bull) have a clear one and two, they always have. And that is why they have the problems they have always had.
"We don't have a one and two here. I have always said, from the moment I was speaking to the team, that I wanted equality and that I didn't want to be favoured. They didn't even offer to favour me but I just wanted to make the point that I am not a driver that comes and requests that like a lot of other drivers do.
"You have to be able to look yourself in the mirror and say you won fair and square. Just like in Malaysia, I don't feel like I won my spot fair and square. Although I did drive a decent race, I don't feel spectacular about it."
Hamilton admitted after the race that he felt that Rosberg deserved the third-place finish.
Matt Cotton
