Toto Wolff's warning to Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg that they could be dropped by Mercedes has been applauded as a cleverly-timed piece of 'mind management' by this week's Midweek Report guests.
The Silver Arrows boss' public rebuke of his two warring drivers, made just hours after the chequered flag had fallen on the 2015 season in which Mercedes had won 16 of the 19 races, has both puzzled and surprised onlookers.
Why criticise a line-up which had secured back-to-back championship doubles?
But according to The F1 Midweek Report's end-of-season special, it is precisely that record-breaking success which, far from being a protection clause for Rosberg and Hamilton, may have persuaded Wolff to speak out in a bid to guard against complacency.
"It's a little bit of mind management," argued NBC reporter Will Buxton. "I think it spurs them on to work harder over the winter, to train harder and not eat too much turkey over Christmas. It's the perfect time to do it.
"Are they going to drop a three-time world champion? No. It doesn't make any sense. But it keeps the motivation up and tells them unless they do, then one of them might be dropped."
It's an interpretation which Graeme Lowdon, the recently-departed former Manor boss, also endorsed.
"It's a gentle reminder," said Lowdon. "No driver is going to walk away from that team. It's Toto's job to remind everyone what their job is and l don't think there is any menace there."
And according to Lowdon, the Mercedes boss has been an unsung hero in the Silver Arrows' recent domination of the sport.
"Toto deserves a lot of credit. It's a different class of problem he has, compared to some of the other team bosses. But keeping that mix and balance going is something other teams have struggled with and there is clearly a good chemistry between Niki [Lauda] and Toto, which is working very well."
Lowdon is himself currently out of work after standing down as Manor's chief executive but has revealed he is already eyeing an immediate return to the paddock for the start of the 2016 F1 season.
"I said l wouldn't look for anything else in F1 until the season had finished, and l think that was the right thing to do, but the season has now ended so I've been having a few conversations and looking at some opportunities," Lowdon told Sky F1's Natalie Pinkham.
In an hour-long special, GP2 champion and McLaren reserve Stoffel Vandoorne is also in the studio to discuss his and the team's hopes for 2016 - and reveal how Fernando Alonso reacted to the #PlacesFernandowouldratherbe hashtag at the Brazilian GP.
If that wasn't enough, we also hear from Jolyon Palmer on Renault's successful takeover of Lotus ahead of his maiden campaign in 2016.
And finally, Ted Kravitz and Martin Brundle rate all the teams on their 2015 performances in a video special for the show...