F1
Title: “Toto Wolff Urges McLaren to Consider Team Orders for Lando Norris Amid F1 Title Battle
Toto Wolff suggests McLaren might want to prioritize Lando Norris through team orders
The head of Mercedes weighs in on the discussion about McLaren's team strategy
Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff has hinted that McLaren may need to take the tough decision to enforce team orders as the F1 championship battle nears its end.
McLaren seemed to have an ideal chance to take advantage of Red Bull’s Max Verstappen having a rough weekend by securing the top two spots on the Italian Grand Prix grid. However, after a tussle with teammate Oscar Piastri, polesitter Lando Norris dropped from first to third on the opening lap.
Piastri overtook his teammate with a bold maneuver on the outside of the Della Roggia chicane. Shortly after, Norris dropped another spot to Ferrari's Charles Leclerc at the next turn.
Norris secured a third-place finish, trailing behind Piastri and Leclerc, and managed to narrow Verstappen’s lead in the drivers’ championship to 62 points with eight races left. Verstappen, meanwhile, ended in sixth place.
Toto Wolff commented on McLaren's decision to let their drivers compete, stating, "As a team suddenly fighting at the front, you're in a tough spot. On one hand, they are racers just like we are."
"We aim to ensure that the most deserving individual succeeds, but when the situation becomes chaotic and starts negatively affecting the team's performance, how should one respond?"
"The team consistently faces defeat because implementing fixed positions and team orders may not align with our competitive spirit, but logic must take precedence."
"In the end, nobody wants to miss out on winning a championship by just three or five points that could have been easily secured. Balancing this is extremely challenging, and there's no one-size-fits-all approach to managing it."
Wolff suggested that McLaren's team leader, Andrea Stella, might need to reconsider their 'Papaya Rules' and shift from his current "racers' soul" strategy.
Toto Wolff stated, "In terms of understanding sports, there's no one better than Andrea Stella and Zak Brown. Andrea has witnessed numerous events unfold firsthand during his time at Ferrari."
"He possesses the spirit of a true racer who prefers not to intervene and would rather see the competitors race freely. However, I believe that after this event, they will reach a decision on how to manage the situation going forward."
"At that point, we began to outline the guidelines for engagement, but later decided to refer to it as 'racing intent' since the term 'rules' seemed too stringent for the drivers."
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