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

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

Mercedes chief weighs in on the McLaren team orders discussion

Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff believes that McLaren now faces a crucial decision regarding the use of team orders as the F1 championship battle nears its end.

McLaren seemed set to take full advantage of Max Verstappen's subpar weekend at the Italian Grand Prix, securing the top two spots on the grid. However, polesitter Lando Norris dropped from first to third on the opening lap following a tussle with his teammate Oscar Piastri.

Piastri boldly overtook his teammate on the outside of the Della Roggia chicane, and then Norris surrendered another spot to Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc at the next turn.

Norris secured third place, trailing Piastri and Leclerc, and managed to reduce Verstappen’s lead in the drivers’ championship to 62 points with eight races left, as the Dutchman ended up in sixth place.

"As a racing team that has suddenly found itself competing at the front, you're in a tough spot," Wolff remarked when questioned about his reaction to McLaren letting their drivers compete against each other. "On one hand, they are racers just like us."

"We aim to ensure that the most deserving person succeeds, but when the situation turns chaotic and negatively affects the team's effectiveness, how should you respond?"

"The team keeps losing because when you lock in positions and give team orders, it might go against our racing instincts, but logic has to take the lead."

Ultimately, you don't want to miss out on winning a championship by just a few points that you could have easily earned. Balancing this challenge is incredibly tough, and there isn't a single right way to manage it.

Wolff suggested that McLaren's team leader, Andrea Stella, might need to reconsider their 'Papaya Rules' and shift from his current strategy, which is driven by his deep passion for racing.

Toto Wolff remarked, "Andrea Stella and Zak Brown possess an unparalleled understanding of sports. Andrea, in particular, 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 flow freely. However, I believe there will be a decision made following this race regarding the management of such situations. How are we addressing this?"

“At this point, we began implementing guidelines for how drivers should interact, but we later altered the terminology to ‘racing intent’ since the word ‘rules’ seemed too strict.”

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