Time for Team Orders? Toto Wolff Urges McLaren to Back Lando Norris in F1 Title Fight

Toto Wolff suggests that McLaren ought to prioritize Lando Norris with team orders

Mercedes head shares his thoughts on McLaren's team orders discussion

Mercedes head Toto Wolff has indicated that McLaren might need to make a tough decision regarding team orders as the F1 championship battle nears its end.

McLaren seemed poised to take full advantage of a tough weekend for Red Bull's Max Verstappen by securing the top two spots on the Italian Grand Prix grid. However, Lando Norris, who started in pole position, quickly fell from first to third place during the opening lap following 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 was passed by Ferrari's Charles Leclerc at the next turn.

Norris secured third place, trailing Piastri and Leclerc, while Verstappen, who finished sixth, saw his lead in the drivers' championship reduced to 62 points with eight races left in the season.

Toto Wolff expressed that a racing team suddenly competing at the forefront faces a difficult dilemma. He noted that while their drivers are racers just like his team’s drivers, it was still surprising that McLaren permitted them to compete against each other.

“We aim to ensure the most deserving individual succeeds, but when the situation turns chaotic and negatively affects the team's performance, what is the appropriate response to take?”

"The team often ends up losing because when you lock in positions and implement team orders, it goes against the spirit of racing. However, the logical approach must take precedence."

"You don't want to fall short of winning a championship by just a few points that you could have easily secured. Balancing this challenge is incredibly tough, and there's 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 possibly deviate from his current 'racers’ soul' strategy.

"Andrea Stella and Zak Brown possess an unparalleled understanding of the sport. Andrea, in particular, has witnessed numerous developments firsthand during his time at Ferrari," Wolff remarked.

"He possesses the spirit of a racer who prefers to avoid interfering and wants to let them compete, but I believe a decision will be reached after this race… how will we manage this situation?"

"This was the point at which we began establishing guidelines for engagement, subsequently altering the term to 'racing intent' since the word 'rules' seemed too strict for the drivers."

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