Wolff "protecting" Bottas with no team orders

The Canadian reckons Bottas is not on the same level as Hamilton and that Mercedes should have already started using team orders to boost the Briton's chances in the championship.

Bottas is currently 34 points behind Hamilton in the standings with eight races remaining, the three-time world champion trailing Ferrari's Sebastian Vettel by seven points.

Ferrari already appears to be backing Vettel over Kimi Raikkonen in its pursuit of a first drivers' championship since the latter triumphed back in 2007.

Hamilton closed the gap to F1 title rival Sebastian Vettel to just seven points following his victory in the Belgian GP, while Bottas finished down in fifth.

Villeneuve reckons Wolff is not using team orders in order to help Bottas secure a new contract with Mercedes.

"Bottas is not on Lewis' level," 1997 world champion Villeneuve told Motorsport.com. "He's not in the same game, he's not in the same group, it's obvious now."

When asked if it was time for Mercedes to consider favouring Hamilton, the Canadian said: "Yes, but Toto doesn't want to do it. He's protecting Bottas right now, he's the one who put Bottas there.

"Bottas is his driver, even though he says he isn't the manager anymore, it's still his driver. He is protecting him because he still needs to get him a contract for next year.

"Yes [it is risking the title]. They have already [lost] the points from [Hungary, when Hamilton gave back a position to Bottas as part of a team arrangement], so they need to consider it."