Lewis Hamilton has insisted that his rivalry with Nico Rosberg is not damaging Mercedes.
Since the end of the 2015 season, which saw the Briton claim a third world title, some reports suggested that the Silver Arrows might let one of their drivers go amid heightening tensions within the camp.
However, Hamilton is adamant that such a rivalry is natural in a winning constructor.
"It is healthy for the sport and we have a great energy within the team," Hamilton is quoted by Crash.net as saying.
"I don't believe there is anything negative. It is natural in any environment, you want to make sure the atmosphere remains strong and we are a winning team.
"We will always communicate as we always have, and we will always rectify when we have any issues."
Mercedes won their second constructors' crown in as many years, beating Ferrari by 275 points.
Chris O'Keefe
