Should McLaren Implement Team Orders for Lando Norris? Mercedes Boss Toto Wolff Weighs In

Toto Wolff suggests McLaren might want to implement team orders to benefit Lando Norris.

The head of Mercedes shares his opinion on the discussion surrounding McLaren's team strategies.

Mercedes chief Toto Wolff has hinted that McLaren needs to make a tough decision regarding the use of team orders as the F1 championship battle nears its end.

McLaren seemed set to take full advantage of Max Verstappen's rough weekend for Red Bull by securing the front row for the Italian Grand Prix. However, pole-sitter Lando Norris dropped from first to third place on the opening lap after a tussle with his teammate Oscar Piastri.

Piastri overtook his teammate with a daring maneuver on the outside of the Della Roggia chicane, and shortly after, Norris was passed by Ferrari's Charles Leclerc at the next turn.

Norris secured 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 finished in sixth place.

When questioned about his thoughts on McLaren permitting their drivers to compete with each other, Wolff commented, “As a team that has suddenly found itself fighting at the front, you face a difficult situation. On one hand, they are racers just like we are.”

"Our goal is to ensure that the most deserving individual succeeds, but when the situation starts to create problems and affect the team's effectiveness, how should one respond?"

“The team consistently faces defeat because imposing fixed positions and team orders may contradict our racing spirit, but the logical approach must take precedence.”

Ultimately, you don't want to miss out on a championship by a small margin of three or five points that were within your grasp. Striking that balance is incredibly challenging, and there isn't a one-size-fits-all approach to managing it.

Wolff suggested that McLaren team boss Andrea Stella might need to reassess their ‘Papaya Rules’ and shift from his “racer’s heart” strategy.

Toto Wolff expressed his thoughts, saying, "When it comes to understanding sports, no one is more knowledgeable than Andrea Stella and Zak Brown. Andrea has witnessed many developments firsthand during his time at Ferrari."

"He possesses the spirit of a true racer who prefers to let competitors race freely. However, I believe that after this event, they will decide on a course of action… how are we managing this?"

"This is the point at which we began to establish guidelines for engagement. We later modified the terminology to 'racing intent' since the term 'rules' sounded too severe for the drivers."

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