McLaren Urged to Consider Team Orders for Lando Norris, Says Mercedes’ Toto Wolff

Toto Wolff suggests McLaren prioritize Lando Norris through team orders

Mercedes chief comments on McLaren's team orders discussion

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

McLaren seemed poised to take full advantage of a disappointing weekend for Max Verstappen of Red Bull by securing the top two positions on the starting grid for the Italian Grand Prix. However, Lando Norris, who had secured 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 was passed by 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.

Toto Wolff expressed that as a racing team suddenly competing at the front, McLaren finds itself in a tough position. He mentioned that the team faces a dilemma because, on one hand, their drivers are competitive racers, just like everyone else on the track. Wolff made these comments when questioned about his reaction to McLaren permitting their drivers to compete against each other.

"We aim to ensure the most deserving individual succeeds; however, when this process begins to cause issues and negatively affects the team's performance, how should one respond?"

"The team frequently ends up losing because when you lock in positions and implement team orders, it might not align with the spirit of racing we cherish, but the logical approach must take precedence."

"In the end, 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 isn't a single right way to manage it."

Wolff suggested that McLaren's team principal, Andrea Stella, might need to reconsider their 'Papaya Rules' and potentially shift from his current "racers' soul" strategy.

"In my opinion, Andrea Stella and Zak Brown have an unparalleled understanding of the sport. Andrea, in particular, has witnessed numerous events unfold firsthand during his time at Ferrari," Wolff commented.

"He possesses the spirit of a racer who is reluctant to intervene and prefers to let the competitors race freely. However, I believe that following this race, a decision will be made regarding how we manage these situations."

"At that point, we began to establish guidelines for engagement, but later altered it to 'racing intent' since the term 'rules' seemed too strict for the drivers."

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