Time for Team Orders? Toto Wolff Urges McLaren to Prioritize Lando Norris as F1 Title Race Heats Up

Toto Wolff suggests McLaren should prioritize Lando Norris with team orders

Mercedes' leader comments on the McLaren team orders discussion

Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff has indicated that McLaren may need to consider enforcing team orders as the battle for the F1 championship approaches its final stages.

McLaren seemed poised to take full advantage of a challenging weekend for Red Bull’s Max Verstappen by securing the top two positions on the starting grid for the Italian Grand Prix. However, the race began with a twist as polesitter Lando Norris dropped 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 outer edge of the Della Roggia chicane, and then Norris surrendered another spot to Ferrari's Charles Leclerc at the next turn.

Norris secured a third-place finish, trailing behind Piastri and Leclerc, and reduced Verstappen’s lead in the drivers’ championship to 62 points. This comes as Verstappen managed only a sixth-place finish, with eight races left in the season.

Toto Wolff commented on the challenging situation faced by a racing team suddenly competing at the front. He explained that such teams find themselves in a difficult position because, as racers, they have to balance competitive instincts. Wolff was responding to a question about whether he was taken aback by McLaren permitting their drivers to compete against one another.

"We aim to ensure that the most deserving individual succeeds, but if the situation begins to hinder the team's effectiveness, how should one respond?"

"The team often ends up losing because sticking to fixed roles and issuing team orders may go against our racing spirit, but logical decisions must take the lead."

"You don't want to miss out on winning a championship by just a few points that you could have gained. Balancing this is very challenging, and there's no single right way to manage it."

Wolff suggested that McLaren team boss Andrea Stella might need to reconsider their 'Papaya Rules' and shift from his "racer's soul" strategy.

Toto Wolff emphasized that Andrea Stella and Zak Brown have an unparalleled understanding of sports. He noted that Andrea has witnessed numerous events unfold firsthand during his time at Ferrari.

"He possesses the spirit of a true racer who prefers to let the competition play out naturally. However, I believe they will reach a decision after this race about how we are managing the situation."

"This was the point at which we began to implement the guidelines for engagement, later modifying the terminology to 'racing intent' since the term 'rules' felt too stringent for the drivers."

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