Team Orders Debate: Toto Wolff Urges McLaren to Prioritize Lando Norris in F1 Title Race

Toto Wolff believes McLaren should implement team orders to support Lando Norris

The head of Mercedes shares his opinion on the discussion about McLaren's team orders

Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff has indicated that McLaren may need to make a tough decision regarding team orders as the Formula 1 championship battle nears its end.

McLaren seemed poised to take full advantage of Red Bull driver Max Verstappen's disappointing weekend by securing the top two spots on the grid for the Italian Grand Prix. However, pole-sitter Lando Norris dropped from first to third place on the opening lap following a tussle with teammate Oscar Piastri.

Piastri overtook his teammate with a bold maneuver on the outside of the Della Roggia chicane, and then Norris lost another spot to 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 managed only a sixth-place finish.

Toto Wolff explained that as a team competing at the front, McLaren faces a difficult situation. He noted that while they are racers at heart, just like his own team, this position puts them in a challenging spot. Wolff's comments came in response to a question about whether he was surprised that McLaren permitted their drivers to compete against each other.

"We aim to ensure the most deserving person succeeds, but when the situation turns problematic and affects the team's effectiveness, how should you respond?"

"The team often ends up losing because if you set fixed positions and enforce team orders, it might go against the spirit of racing we cherish, but the logical approach must take priority."

"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-size-fits-all approach to managing it."

Wolff suggested that McLaren's team leader, Andrea Stella, might need to reassess their ‘Papaya Rules’ and shift from his current “racers’ soul” strategy.

Toto Wolff commented that Andrea Stella and Zak Brown have an unparalleled understanding of the sport. He noted that Andrea, in particular, has witnessed numerous developments unfold firsthand during his time at Ferrari.

"He possesses a competitive spirit that resists intervening and prefers to let the racers compete freely. However, I believe that after this race, a decision will be made regarding our approach to managing this situation."

"At this point, we began implementing guidelines for engagement and later altered the wording to 'racing intent' because 'rules' sounded too strict for the drivers."

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