In Hungary, Bottas let Hamilton through so that the Briton could try to attack Kimi Raikkonen and Sebastian Vettel.

Having failed to progress, Hamilton then slowed and allowed Bottas back through on the last lap, losing three precious points in the process.

While acknowledging that he can't expect the Finn to help until he's out of the title fight, Hamilton said he intends to be in front anyway.

"I think Hungary happened at the right time, and I think it happened the right way," he said. "My honest goal is to make sure I'm not in that position again, so then it's an easy decision – the team don't have to make a decision.

"I think Valtteri will make his own decisions at whatever point, if he ever feels that he's out of contention, for example, I think he will make his own decisions, perhaps with the team.

"As I said my goal is to make sure that we're not in the position for them to have to do that, my goal is to make sure I do the better job each weekend, which is not always the case, and Valtteri's getting stronger with understanding the car. So we shall see."

Hamilton also downplayed the suggestion that handing the place back to Bottas in Hungary had helped to forge a bond between the two.

"Valtteri afterwards actually came and said to me he didn't expect me to let him back past. You can imagine me, I was like, 'S**t!'.

"I felt like I'd made the right decision. I think even I'd stayed ahead, I think he would have understood. I don't think he would have been fussed by it. I was seven seconds up the road.

"If he was right behind me, then perhaps. So I don't think that decision… I mean, it could only have made things better, but if it was the other way around, I think it could have gone sour the other way.

"There is a lot of talk about our relationship, and I think it's just a good working relationship. Valtteri wants to beat me on the track just as much as I want to beat him.

"Don't ever get it twisted that we don't want to kill each other out there, but there's a respect for one another's ability, and where we come from, and that really works well for us at the moment."