McLaren’s Dilemma: Toto Wolff Advocates for Team Orders to Boost Lando Norris’ Title Hopes

Toto Wolff suggests McLaren should prioritize Lando Norris through team orders

The Mercedes chief weighs in on McLaren's team orders discussion

Mercedes chief 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 Max Verstappen's rough weekend at the Italian Grand Prix, securing the top two spots on the starting grid. However, Lando Norris, who began in pole position, dropped to third place during the initial 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. Subsequently, Norris surrendered another spot to Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc at the next turn.

Norris secured third place, following Piastri and Leclerc, and narrowed 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 that, as a leading racing team, McLaren faces a tough dilemma. He explained that while they are competing at the front, they are also racers at heart, similar to his own team. Wolff made these remarks when questioned about his surprise at McLaren permitting their drivers to compete against each other.

"We aim to ensure that the most deserving individual emerges victorious. However, if the situation devolves into dysfunction and begins to negatively affect the team's performance, how should one respond?"

The team frequently finds itself at a disadvantage because enforcing fixed positions and team orders may not align with the spirit of racing. However, the logical approach needs to take precedence.

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

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

Toto Wolff explained that both Andrea Stella and Zak Brown have an exceptional understanding of sports. He highlighted that Andrea, in particular, has witnessed numerous situations unfold firsthand during his tenure at Ferrari.

"He possesses the spirit of a true racer who prefers to let the competitors race freely, but I believe there will be a decision made about this after the race… what’s our approach to managing this?"

"At this point, we began to present the guidelines for engagement and later altered the terminology to 'racing intent' as 'rules' seemed too strict for the drivers."

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