F1
Mercedes Chief Toto Wolff Urges McLaren to Enforce Team Orders in Favour of Lando Norris Amidst Championship Battle
Toto Wolff suggests McLaren might want to implement team orders to benefit Lando Norris
The head of Mercedes shares his opinion on the ongoing discussion about McLaren's team strategies
Mercedes chief Toto Wolff has indicated 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 advantage of Max Verstappen from Red Bull having a rough weekend by securing the top two spots on the starting grid for the Italian Grand Prix. However, despite starting in pole position, Lando Norris dropped to third place after battling with his teammate Oscar Piastri during the first lap.
Piastri overtook his teammate with a bold maneuver on the outside of the Della Roggia chicane, and then Norris surrendered another spot to Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc at the next turn.
Norris secured third place, trailing 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 on the challenging situation faced by a leading racing team, saying, "As a team suddenly competing at the front, you're in a difficult position. On one hand, they are racers just like us," when questioned about his thoughts on McLaren permitting their drivers to compete against each other.
“We aim to ensure that the most qualified individual succeeds, but if the situation begins to deteriorate and negatively affect the team's performance, what steps should be taken in response?”
“The team often finds itself at a disadvantage because when you lock in positions and implement team orders, it might conflict with our racing spirit. However, logic and reason must ultimately take precedence.”
"In the end, you don’t want to miss out on winning a championship by just three or five points that you could have easily secured. Balancing this is incredibly challenging, and there is no one-size-fits-all solution for managing it."
Wolff suggested that McLaren's team leader, Andrea Stella, might need to reconsider their 'Papaya Rules' and shift away from his current "racers' soul" strategy.
"Andrea Stella and Zak Brown are incredibly knowledgeable about sports," Wolff said. "Andrea, in particular, has witnessed various situations unfold firsthand during his time at Ferrari."
"He possesses the spirit of a true racer who prefers to let competitions unfold naturally. However, I believe there will be a decision made post-race regarding how we manage this situation."
"This marked the point when we began to lay out the guidelines for engagement, later modifying the terminology to 'racing intent' since the term 'rules' seemed too stringent for the drivers."
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