F1
**Toto Wolff Urges McLaren to Consider Team Orders for Lando Norris as F1 Title Race Intensifies**
Toto Wolff suggests that McLaren should prioritize Lando Norris with team orders
Mercedes chief comments on McLaren's team orders discussion
Mercedes leader Toto Wolff has indicated that McLaren faces a tough decision regarding team orders as the Formula 1 championship nears its end.
McLaren seemed to have an ideal chance to take advantage of Red Bull's Max Verstappen's challenging weekend by securing the top two spots on the Italian Grand Prix starting grid. However, pole position holder Lando Norris dropped from first to third place 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 conceded another spot to Ferrari's Charles Leclerc at the next turn.
Norris secured a third-place finish, trailing Piastri and Leclerc, and reduced 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 McLaren's decision to let their drivers compete, stating, "As a leading racing team, you find yourself in a difficult position. On one hand, their drivers are just like us – they're racers."
"Our goal is to ensure that the most deserving individual succeeds, but when the situation becomes chaotic and negatively affects the team's performance, what steps do you take to address it?"
"The team consistently ends up losing because, when positions are frozen and team orders are enforced, it might go against the essence of racing that we love. However, the logical approach must take precedence."
In the end, you definitely don't want to miss out on winning a championship by just a few points—points that you could have easily earned. Balancing this is extremely challenging, and there's no one-size-fits-all answer on how to manage it.
Wolff suggested that McLaren's team boss, Andrea Stella, might need to reconsider their 'Papaya Rules' and possibly shift away from his strategy that focuses on the "spirit of racing."
Toto Wolff mentioned that Andrea Stella and Zak Brown have an unparalleled understanding of sports. He noted that Andrea has witnessed numerous events unfold firsthand during his time at Ferrari.
"He possesses the spirit of a true racer who is reluctant to interfere and prefers to let the competitors race. However, I believe that a decision will be made regarding this matter after the race… what is our approach to managing this?"
"At this point, we began outlining the guidelines for engagement, but later we revised the terminology to 'racing intent' since 'rules' felt too stringent for the drivers."
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