Rumours of an ongoing rift between world champion Lewis Hamilton and his Mercedes partner and title runner-up Nico Rosberg have been rubbished by their boss Niki Lauda.

The Austrian grand prix legend’s denial, following what seemed to be a deliberate tactical manoeuvre to hamper each other in qualifying last time out in Malaysia, comes after a crucial get-together at the team’s UK base.

Lauda, the team’s chairman, was emphatic that any suggestion of discontent following on from last season’s spats between the twosome, is all nonsense and he was quick to underpin their kinship despite many, including my own, feelings to the contrary.

Ahead of this Sunday’s third round Chinese Grand Prix clash in Shanghai and anxious to reassure Mercedes fans that Sebastian Vettel’s shock victory in Malaysia two weeks ago was a one-off, Lauda, himself three times the world champion, stresses there is no bad feeling between his championship challengers.

“Far from it,” was his response. ”We are all pulling together. We have carefully analysed the Malaysia race and the result as a group, as a team with two great drivers and we are now well equipped for the next Grand Prix.”

But, not withstanding his emphasis, I don’t believe the issue of questionable amity, so obvious last season, has finally been resolved by two ambitious and committed drivers, each determined to better the other.

Their wake-up call was four-times champion Vettel in the once all-conquering Ferrari looking in the gifted German’s hands like a revitalised threat to a second successive Mercedes runaway title takeover.

It was the Italian team’s 222nd grand prix victory and few beforehand can have been such a nudge in the ribs as Vettel’s win, shrewdly masterminded from the pit wall thanks to two stops to the Mercedes pair’s ill-advised three.

Mercedes’ motorsport boss Toto Wolff having called an urgent meeting to fathom the Malaysia setback says: “That was our wake-up call. Our opposition has raised its game and we in return must raise our own.

“Malaysia gave us plenty to think about and we have been examining every area where we could have performed better. We must expect now a season-long battle.

“China on Sunday is our next chance to win and it has been a great hunting ground for Lewis and Nico.”

In Sepang, Vettel halted an eight-race winning streak for Mercedes, dating back to the 2014 Italian Grand Prix at Monza, and he plans to add to his victory at the circuit where he has been a winner and a runner-up.

Lauda, 25 times a grand prix victor, added: “Unity is a valuable contribution to success. It is a vital quality in any team and among its drivers.

“We need to pull together to haul back Ferrari and Vettel. And there is no in-fighting in our team. That must be made totally clear to everybody.”

As if to give credence to Lauda’s pronouncement, Hamilton and Rosberg keen to show they are not foes shared a private jet for the emergency gathering at the team’s HQ and even took selfies of their togetherness at altitude.

Friends again? Only time and attitudes after results will tell.

— The writer is a freelance journalist and motorsport expert