F1
McLaren Must Consider Team Orders for Lando Norris, Urges Mercedes Boss Toto Wolff
Toto Wolff believes McLaren ought to prioritize Lando Norris through team orders
Mercedes team principal shares his opinion on the McLaren team orders discussion
Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff has implied that McLaren must now face the tough decision of enforcing team orders as the F1 championship battle nears its end.
McLaren seemed to have an ideal chance to benefit from Max Verstappen's struggles at the Italian Grand Prix, as they secured the top two spots on the starting grid. However, Lando Norris, who began in pole position, dropped to third place after the first lap following a tussle with his teammate Oscar Piastri.
Piastri overtook his teammate with a bold maneuver around the outside of the Della Roggia chicane. Shortly after, Norris surrendered another spot to Ferrari's Charles Leclerc at the next turn.
Norris took third place, trailing Piastri and Leclerc, and reduced Verstappen's lead in the drivers' championship to 62 points with eight races left, as the Dutchman managed only a sixth-place finish.
Toto Wolff commented on McLaren's decision to let their drivers compete, stating, "As a team suddenly fighting at the front, McLaren faces a tough situation. On one hand, their drivers are racers just like ours."
"We aim to ensure the most deserving person succeeds, but when the situation becomes chaotic and negatively affects the team's performance, how should you respond?"
"The team often ends up losing because when you impose fixed positions and implement team orders, it might conflict with our racing instincts, but it's necessary for sensible decision-making to take over."
"You don't want to miss out on winning a championship by just a few points that you could have easily earned. Balancing this is extremely challenging, and there's no one-size-fits-all solution for managing it."
Wolff mentioned that McLaren's team leader, Andrea Stella, might need to reconsider their 'Papaya Rules' and distance himself from his approach centered around the "spirit of racing."
“No one understands sports better than Andrea Stella and Zak Brown,” Wolff commented. “Andrea has witnessed everything unfold firsthand numerous times at Ferrari.”
"He possesses the spirit of a true racer who prefers to let the competitors race freely, but I believe that after this event, a decision will be made regarding our approach to managing this situation."
"This was the point at which we began implementing the guidelines for engagement, later altering the terminology to 'racing intent' since the term 'rules' seemed too strict for the drivers."
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