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

Toto Wolff: McLaren should prioritize Lando Norris through team orders

Mercedes chief comments on the McLaren team orders discussion

Toto Wolff, the head of Mercedes, has hinted that McLaren may need to make the tough decision to use team orders as the battle for the F1 championship nears its end.

McLaren seemed to have an ideal chance to take advantage of a challenging weekend for Red Bull’s Max Verstappen by securing the top two spots on the starting grid for the Italian Grand Prix. However, pole-sitter Lando Norris dropped from first to third during the opening lap following a tussle with his teammate Oscar Piastri.

Piastri overtook his teammate with a daring maneuver on the outer line of the Della Roggia chicane, and shortly after, Norris was overtaken again, this time by Ferrari's Charles Leclerc at the next turn.

Norris secured third place, trailing behind Piastri and Leclerc, and managed to reduce Verstappen's lead in the drivers' standings to 62 points. This occurred with eight races left in the season, as Verstappen finished in sixth place.

When questioned about whether he was astonished that McLaren permitted their drivers to compete, Wolff remarked, "As a racing team suddenly fighting at the forefront, you find yourself in a tough position because, on one hand, they are racers just like us."

"We aim to ensure that the most deserving individual succeeds, but when the situation turns chaotic and begins to affect the team's effectiveness, what steps do you take in response?"

"The team consistently finds itself at a disadvantage because implementing fixed positions and enforcing team orders might not align with the spirit of racing we cherish. However, making logical decisions must take priority."

"In the end, you don't want to miss out on a championship by just three or five points that you could have easily secured. 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 "racer's soul" methodology.

"I don't think anyone understands sports better than Andrea Stella and Zak Brown," Wolff said. "Andrea has witnessed it all firsthand numerous times at Ferrari."

"He possesses the competitive spirit that resists interference and prefers to let racers compete freely. However, I believe a decision will be reached following this race… what is our approach to managing this?"

"At this point, we began to outline the guidelines for participation and later adjusted the term to 'racing intent' since 'rules' seemed too stringent for the drivers."

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