Lewis Hamilton fears Mercedes will have to consider team orders if he and Nico Rosberg crash again this season - and the world champion has admitted there is "every possibility" that could happen.
Hamilton and Rosberg will go head to head in Sunday's blue riband Monaco Grand Prix for the first time since their incredible collision in Spain where both Mercedes cars failed to make it beyond turn four of the opening lap.
While on this occasion, Mercedes deemed the stunning Barcelona crash to be a racing incident, and will allow Hamilton and Rosberg to continue their championship battle on track, it seems unlikely they will adopt a similar stance should they take each other out once more.
"If it was to happen again, then for sure," said Hamilton when asked if Mercedes would have to change their approach.
"There are 16 races remaining so there is every possibility that it could happen again, but we will try our best to make sure it doesn't."
Indeed it is not implausible to say that another crash between the two championship protagonists would lead to Mercedes declaring a number one and a number two driver for the remainder of the season.
But Hamilton, who has not won since October's United States Grand Prix, - the scene of his third world championship - will not be prepared to take a back seat.
Hamilton, who trails Rosberg by 43 points in the championship, added: "Ultimately we are hired to race and I don't think they can tell us not to race. We are not out there to crash, we want to finish, and we have over 1,000 people who rely on the two of us to get the points.
"The biggest pisser offer is when you have all the build-up, you have all the work, things are going well and you don't complete one lap. It is painful.
"You want to avoid that at all costs, but we are going to go racing and s*** happens."
Hamilton heads into Sunday's race at the principality without a win here since 2008. Two years ago, Rosberg botched Hamilton's final qualifying run by running off the circuit before going on to win the race.
Hamilton appeared on course to triumph last year before a late decision to pit for tyres under a safety car period cost him the victory. He crossed the line in third with Rosberg winning his third consecutive race in Monaco.
Ayrton Senna, Hamilton's childhood hero, is the only other driver to have won this historic race on more than three occasions.
But a defiant Hamilton said: "I have zero frustration about this race. I'm just grateful that I get to race here. If I didn't win here again that's just how it is.
"As long as I won championships in that time. Having five wins here and no championships. One weighs a lot more than another. Championships are what I care about."
Source: PA
