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

Toto Wolff: McLaren might want to prioritize Lando Norris with team orders

Mercedes chief weighs in on McLaren's team orders discussion

Mercedes team principal 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 Max Verstappen's challenging weekend for Red Bull by securing the top two spots on the starting grid for the Italian Grand Prix. However, Lando Norris, who started in pole position, dropped to third place on the first lap after 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 dropped another spot to Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc at the next turn.

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

Toto Wolff commented on the challenging position a leading racing team like McLaren finds itself in. When questioned about his reaction to McLaren permitting their drivers to compete against each other, Wolff explained, "As a team suddenly competing at the front, they face a difficult dilemma. On one hand, their drivers are racers, just like we are."

"We aim to ensure that the most deserving individual prevails, but when the situation becomes chaotic and starts affecting the team's effectiveness, how should one respond?"

"The team consistently finds itself at a disadvantage because if you lock in positions and impose team directives, you may not align with the spirit of racing, but logical decisions need to take precedence."

"In the end, you don't want to miss out on a championship by just three or five points, especially when those points were within reach. Balancing this situation is incredibly challenging, and there's no single right way to approach it."

Wolff suggested that McLaren's team leader, Andrea Stella, might need to reassess their 'Papaya Rules' and consider shifting from his current "racers' soul" strategy.

"No one has a better grasp of sports than Andrea Stella and Zak Brown," Wolff stated. "Andrea, in particular, has witnessed it all unfold at Ferrari on numerous occasions."

"He possesses the spirit of a true racer who prefers to let them compete freely, but I believe a decision will be reached following this race… what is our approach to this?"

"At that point, we began outlining the guidelines for engagement, but later altered the terminology to 'racing intent' since 'rules' sounded too severe for the drivers."

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