F1
**”Toto Wolff Urges McLaren to Favor Lando Norris in Title Bid Amid Team Orders Debate”**
Toto Wolff believes McLaren should prioritize Lando Norris through team orders
Mercedes chief comments on the McLaren team orders discussion
Mercedes chief Toto Wolff has hinted that McLaren may need to make a tough decision regarding team orders as the F1 championship battle nears its end.
McLaren seemed poised to take full advantage of Max Verstappen's subpar performance over the weekend at the Italian Grand Prix by securing the top two spots on the grid. However, Lando Norris, who started in pole position, fell to third place during the first lap following a tussle with his teammate Oscar Piastri.
Piastri overtook his teammate with a bold maneuver around the outer edge of the Della Roggia chicane, and then Norris conceded an additional spot to Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc at the next turn.
Norris secured a third-place finish, trailing behind Piastri and Leclerc. With Verstappen only managing to come in sixth, Norris reduced the gap in the drivers' championship to 62 points, with eight races left in the season.
When questioned about his thoughts on McLaren permitting their drivers to compete, Wolff remarked that being a leading racing team puts them in a challenging position. He explained that on one hand, McLaren's drivers, much like themselves, are racers at heart.
"We aim to ensure the most deserving person prevails, but when the situation turns chaotic and begins to affect the team's effectiveness, how should you respond?"
"The team consistently faces defeat because when you fix positions and implement team orders, it might not align with the essence of racing we desire, but the logical approach must take precedence."
"You don’t want to miss out on winning a championship because of a few points that you could have easily gained. Balancing this is incredibly challenging, and there’s no one-size-fits-all approach to managing it."
Wolff suggested that McLaren team principal Andrea Stella might need to rethink their 'Papaya Rules' and shift from his current "racers' soul" strategy.
Toto Wolff commented that Andrea Stella and Zak Brown have an unparalleled understanding of the sport. He emphasized that Andrea has witnessed many similar situations unfold firsthand during his time at Ferrari.
“He possesses a racing spirit that hesitates to intervene and prefers to let the competitors race freely. However, I believe there will be a decision made following this race… what approach are we taking?”
"At this point, we began to outline the guidelines for engagement, but later altered the terminology to 'racing intent' since 'rules' seemed too strict for the drivers."
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