F1
**”Toto Wolff Urges McLaren to Consider Team Orders for Lando Norris Amid F1 Title Race”**
Toto Wolff suggests McLaren prioritize Lando Norris through team orders
Mercedes head shares his opinion on the McLaren team orders discussion
Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff has indicated that McLaren may need to consider enforcing team orders as the F1 championship battle nears its end.
McLaren seemed well-positioned 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, pole-sitter Lando Norris dropped from first to third on 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 shortly after, Norris was passed by Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc at the next turn.
Norris secured a third-place finish, trailing behind Piastri and Leclerc. This result reduced Verstappen's lead in the drivers' championship to 62 points, with eight races left, as the Dutchman managed only a sixth-place finish.
When questioned about his surprise at McLaren permitting their drivers to compete against each other, Wolff remarked, "As a team suddenly fighting at the front, you're in a difficult position. On one hand, they are racers just like us."
"We aim to ensure that the most deserving individual comes out on top, but when the situation turns counterproductive and begins to affect the team's effectiveness, how should one respond?"
"The team consistently ends up losing because when you lock in positions and implement team orders, it goes against the spirit of racing we strive for. However, the logical approach must take precedence."
"In the end, missing out on winning a championship by just a few points, which could have been easily gained, is something you want to avoid. Balancing this is extremely challenging, and there's no single right way to manage it."
Wolff suggested that McLaren's team boss, Andrea Stella, might need to reconsider their 'Papaya Rules' and shift away from his "racer's soul" philosophy.
"Andrea Stella and Zak Brown are incredibly knowledgeable about sports," Wolff said. "Andrea, in particular, has witnessed many events unfold firsthand during his time at Ferrari."
"He possesses the competitive spirit typical of racers who prefer to let the race unfold naturally, but I believe a decision will be reached following this event… what is our strategy for managing this?"
"At this point, we began to implement guidelines for engagement, but we later revised the terminology to 'racing intent' as we felt that 'rules' sounded too strict for the drivers."
Discover More
Recent Updates
Recent Updates
Site Map
Crash.Net
©1999-2024 Crash Media Group
Copying or reproducing any part of this text, including photos or illustrations, in any manner is strictly prohibited.
Discover more from Automobilnews News - The first AI News Portal world wide
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.