Time for Team Orders? Toto Wolff Urges McLaren to Prioritize Lando Norris in F1 Title Chase

Toto Wolff: McLaren ought to prioritize Lando Norris through team orders

Mercedes chief weighs in on the McLaren team orders discussion

Mercedes chief 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 to be in an ideal position to take advantage of a challenging weekend for Red Bull’s Max Verstappen by securing the top two spots on the Italian Grand Prix starting grid. However, Lando Norris, who started from pole position, 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 outside of the Della Roggia chicane, and then Norris ceded another spot to Ferrari's Charles Leclerc at the next turn.

Norris secured third place, trailing behind Piastri and Leclerc, and reduced Verstappen's lead in the drivers' championship to 62 points with eight races left, as the Dutchman finished in sixth place.

Toto Wolff remarked that as a racing team suddenly competing at the forefront, they find themselves in a difficult position. He explained that on one hand, the team is composed of racers just like themselves, when questioned about his reaction to McLaren permitting their drivers to compete against each other.

"Our goal is to ensure that the most deserving individual prevails, but when the situation starts to deteriorate and negatively affects the team's performance, how should we respond to that?"

"The team consistently ends up losing since imposing fixed positions and team orders contradicts the spirit of racing we cherish. However, sometimes it's necessary to let rational decisions take the lead."

"You definitely don't want to miss out on a championship by just a few points that were within your reach. Balancing this is incredibly challenging, and there's no single right way to approach it."

Wolff suggested that McLaren team principal Andrea Stella might need to reconsider their 'Papaya Rules' and shift from his "racing spirit" strategy.

Toto Wolff mentioned that Andrea Stella and Zak Brown have an unparalleled understanding of the sport. He emphasized that Andrea, having witnessed numerous events unfold firsthand at Ferrari, possesses extensive experience.

"He possesses the competitive spirit of a true racer who is reluctant to intervene and prefers to let the race play out. However, I believe that after this race, they will likely reach a decision… what approach are we taking to address this?"

“This was the point at which we began to implement guidelines for interaction, and subsequently, we modified the terminology to 'racing intent' since the word 'rules' seemed too severe for the drivers.”

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