FORMER world champ Niki Lauda claims he would also have ignored Mercedes' team instructions if he had been in Lewis Hamilton's shoes during Sunday's Hungarian Grand Prix.

Mercedes now appear poised to ban such race orders after telling Hamilton to allow team-mate and title rival Nico Rosberg to pass him at the Hungaroring.

Running third and fourth at the time on lap 51, both drivers were still in the hunt for the win, albeit Rosberg was on a different strategy and needed Hamilton's compliance in order to take the chequered flag.

Hamilton, however, stood his ground, going on to finish a remarkable third following his pit-lane start. Rosberg had to settle for fourth.

Hamilton's actions now appear fully justified given he has closed the gap to Rosberg to 11 points in the standings.

Lauda, non-executive chairman of Mercedes, said: "First of all, I have to defend the team.

"The team was under enormous stress as the race was a very difficult one. Mercedes has been used to being in the lead and with drivers racing against each other. This race, with the safety car at the start and the wet conditions, was a completely different one.

"Every minute you had to decide something different and, in this stress, the team told Lewis he should let Nico by because he was on softer tyres and had to come in the pit again.

"In Lewis's position he was clear if Nico had been in the DRS zone and one second behind, he'd have let him by.

"But Nico never got that close. Therefore I understand why Lewis questioned the decision. He is fighting for the championship.

"The call came out of panic as we were trying to make up for what we were losing. But it was unnecessary.

"Looking back, Lewis did nothing wrong from my point of view. If it had been me, I would not even have answered the radio.

"It is important that Lewis said, 'No, I am racing my team-mate.' He did the right thing."

Clear-the-air talks will be held between the drivers, Mercedes boss Toto Wolff and executive technical director Paddy Lowe, who made the call.

Lauda is sure this latest incident between the pair will have been left behind by the time F1 returns from its summer break in under four weeks' time.

He added: "I have been very happy with Nico and Lewis. Drivers forget quickly."