McLaren Should Reconsider Team Orders for Lando Norris, Says Mercedes Boss Toto Wolff

Mercedes chief Toto Wolff suggests that McLaren might want to implement team orders to support Lando Norris in the ongoing debate.

Mercedes chief Toto Wolff has indicated that McLaren might need to make a tough decision regarding team orders as the F1 championship battle nears its end.

McLaren seemed poised to take advantage of Max Verstappen's challenging weekend at Red Bull by securing the top two spots on the starting grid for the Italian Grand Prix. However, Lando Norris, who started in pole position, dropped from first to third place during the opening lap following a tussle with his teammate, Oscar Piastri.

Piastri overtook his teammate with a bold maneuver on the outside of the Della Roggia chicane, and then Norris conceded another spot to Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc at the next turn.

Norris secured third place, trailing behind 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.

“When you’re a racing team competing at the forefront, it puts you in a difficult position,” Wolff remarked when questioned about his surprise over McLaren letting their drivers compete against each other. “On one hand, they are racers just like we are.”

"Our goal is to ensure that the most capable person succeeds, but when the situation becomes chaotic and negatively affects the team's performance, how should we respond?"

"The team frequently ends up losing because enforcing rigid positions and implementing team orders goes against the spirit of racing, even though it might be the logical choice."

"In the end, you don't want to miss out on winning a championship by just a few points that you could have easily gained. Balancing this is extremely challenging, and there's no one right way to approach it."

Wolff mentioned that Andrea Stella, the team principal of McLaren, might need to reconsider their 'Papaya Rules' and shift from his "racers' soul" strategy.

"Andrea Stella and Zak Brown possess an unparalleled understanding of sports. Andrea, in particular, has witnessed numerous events unfold firsthand during his time at Ferrari," Wolff stated.

“He possesses a competitive spirit that makes him reluctant to intervene and prefers to let them compete, but I believe a decision will be made after this race… what’s our approach to this situation?”

"This was the point at which we began to implement guidelines for engagement, but we later altered the terminology to 'racing intent' because the word 'rules' seemed too strict for the drivers."

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