Time for Team Orders? Toto Wolff Weighs in on McLaren’s Internal Battle

Toto Wolff suggests McLaren prioritize Lando Norris with team orders

Mercedes chief weighs in on McLaren's team orders discussion

Mercedes chief Toto Wolff has implied that the moment has arrived for McLaren to face a tough decision regarding the use of team orders, with the F1 championship battle nearing its end.

McLaren seemed to be in an ideal position to take advantage of a tough weekend for Red Bull's Max Verstappen by securing the top two spots on the Italian Grand Prix starting grid. However, pole-sitter Lando Norris dropped from first to third 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 was overtaken by Ferrari's Charles Leclerc at the next turn.

Norris secured third place, trailing 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.

When questioned about whether he was taken aback by McLaren letting their drivers compete against each other, Wolff explained, "As a racing team now contending at the forefront, you're in a tough position. On one hand, their drivers are racers just like we are."

"Our goal is to ensure that the most deserving person succeeds. However, when the situation starts to deteriorate and negatively affect the team's performance, what steps should be taken in response?"

"The team frequently ends up losing because if you lock in positions and impose team orders, it might not align with the racing spirit we desire, but the logical approach must take priority."

"In the end, you don't want to miss out on a championship by a small margin, like three or five points, that you could have easily secured. Balancing this is incredibly challenging and there's no one-size-fits-all approach to managing it."

Wolff suggested that McLaren team boss Andrea Stella might need to reassess their ‘Papaya Rules’ and consider shifting from his “racers’ soul” strategy.

"There is no one with a greater understanding of sports than Andrea Stella and Zak Brown," Wolff remarked. "Andrea has witnessed various situations unfold firsthand during his time at Ferrari."

“He possesses a competitive spirit that resists intervention and prefers to allow the racers to compete freely. However, I believe a decision will be reached following this race… what is our approach to managing this situation?”

"This was the point at which we began implementing guidelines for engagement, later adjusting the terminology to 'racing intent' since 'rules' seemed too strict for the drivers."

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