Toto Wolff Urges McLaren to Consider Team Orders for Lando Norris in Tightening F1 Title Race

Toto Wolff believes McLaren should implement team orders to support Lando Norris

Mercedes chief comments on the McLaren team orders controversy.

Mercedes chief Toto Wolff believes it's time for McLaren to make a tough decision regarding the use of team orders as the F1 championship battle reaches its final stages.

McLaren seemed to have an ideal chance to take advantage of a tough weekend for Red Bull's Max Verstappen by securing the top two spots on the grid for the Italian Grand Prix. However, despite Lando Norris starting in pole position, he dropped from first to third place on the opening lap after a tussle with his teammate Oscar Piastri.

Piastri overtook his teammate with a bold maneuver on the outside of the Della Roggia chicane. Meanwhile, Norris dropped another spot to Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc at the next turn.

Norris secured third place, trailing Piastri and Leclerc, while reducing Verstappen’s lead in the drivers’ championship to 62 points. With eight races left in the season, Verstappen managed to finish in sixth place.

When questioned about whether he was taken aback by McLaren permitting their drivers to compete against each other, Wolff remarked, "I believe that as a team suddenly competing at the forefront, you're in a difficult position. On one hand, they are racers just like we are."

"Our goal is to ensure that the most deserving person succeeds, but when the situation starts to cause dysfunction and negatively affects the team's performance, how should one respond?"

"The team often ends up losing because if you lock in positions and implement team orders, it might not align with our racing spirit, but practicality has to take precedence."

"You don't want to miss winning a championship by a small margin, like three or five points, especially when those points were within your reach. It's incredibly challenging to find the right balance, and there's no one-size-fits-all answer on how to manage 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 mentioned, "Andrea Stella and Zak Brown are incredibly knowledgeable about sports. Andrea, in particular, has witnessed many events unfold firsthand during his time at Ferrari."

"He possesses the spirit of a true racer, preferring to let the competition unfold naturally. However, I believe a decision will be made post-race regarding the approach we are taking."

"At this point, we began implementing guidelines for engagement, but then we shifted the terminology to 'racing intent' because the term 'rules' seemed too strict for the drivers."

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