Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg have been harshly treated by Mercedes' decision to publicly warn their drivers they could be dropped, according to Sky F1's Ted Kravitz.
In a headline-grabbing rebuke from Silver Arrows chief Toto Wolff, the two warring drivers were told Mercedes would change their line-up unless they learnt to coexist - despite Rosberg and Hamilton propelling the team to two successive championship doubles.
"There are a couple of questions about why Toto felt the need to say this in public," pondered Kravitz. "Has he not said these things to Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg in private and, if so, have those entreaties to get along and be magnanimous in defeat fallen on deaf ears?
"It's a very strange thing for a team boss to say so openly. You would think that the rivalry is even deeper and more bad-tempered than any of us suspected during the season."
However, a puzzled Kravitz has some sympathy for Rosberg and Hamilton following their public dressing-down.
"I do think they are being a little harshly treated and l do feel for them. They have been built up as these big superstars of the sport who are going head-to-head in battle with each other who are feted by the team whenever they win. They are competitive animals, they want to win the world championship. But what happens when they don't win and they occasionally throw a bit of a strop? They get criticised by their boss.
"I'm not sure Hamilton and Rosberg can win in this situation. They are told to be competitive and try to beat the other one but when they are unhappy because they haven't won they get criticised and threatened with the sack by the boss. I don't think Hamilton or Rosberg will take this very kindly at all."
Kravitz also questioned the timing of the rebuke with Wolff speaking out just hours after the chequered flag had fallen on the 2015 season in Abu Dhabi.
"Time will be a great healer and that's why l would question Toto putting this out in the public at the moment. We have just reached the end of the season. Everyone is completely exhausted. Why didn't he just let this all calm down?"
Meanwhile, Kravitz has greeted McLaren's vision of F1's future as 'fantastic' after the Woking team released images of their 'concept car', the MP4-X. Watch the video to find out more...