F1
Team Orders Dilemma: Toto Wolff Urges McLaren to Back Lando Norris in Championship Push
Toto Wolff suggests that McLaren should favor Lando Norris with team orders
Mercedes chief shares his opinion on McLaren's team orders discussion
Mercedes head Toto Wolff has hinted that McLaren needs to consider enforcing team orders as the F1 championship battle nears its end.
McLaren seemed to have an ideal chance to take advantage of Red Bull’s Max Verstappen underperforming during the weekend by securing the top two spots on the Italian Grand Prix starting grid. However, Lando Norris, who had secured pole position, dropped from first to third place on the opening lap after a tussle with his teammate Oscar Piastri.
Piastri overtook his teammate with a bold maneuver on the outside of the Della Roggia chicane. Shortly after, Norris surrendered 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.
When asked if he was surprised that McLaren permitted their drivers to compete against each other, Wolff remarked, "As a racing team now contending at the forefront, you're in a difficult position. On one hand, they are racers just like us."
"We aim to ensure that the most deserving individual prevails, but when the situation turns counterproductive and affects the team's effectiveness, how should one respond to that?"
"The team often finds itself at a disadvantage because imposing fixed positions and team orders goes against the spirit of racing, even though it might be the more logical choice."
"In the final analysis, you don't want to miss out on a championship because of three or five points that you could have easily secured. Balancing that situation is incredibly challenging, and there's no one-size-fits-all solution for managing it."
Wolff suggested that McLaren's team boss, Andrea Stella, might need to reconsider their 'Papaya Rules' and shift from his "racers' soul" strategy.
Toto Wolff stated, "Andrea Stella and Zak Brown have an unparalleled understanding of sports. Andrea, in particular, has witnessed numerous events unfold firsthand during his time at Ferrari."
"He possesses the competitive spirit that hesitates to intervene, preferring to let the racers compete freely. However, I believe they will reach a decision on how to address this issue after the race."
"At that point, we began implementing guidelines for engagement and later adjusted the terminology to 'racing intent' since the term 'rules' seemed too strict for the drivers."
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