**”Toto Wolff Urges McLaren to Implement Team Orders for Lando Norris Amid F1 Title Battle”**

Toto Wolff suggests that McLaren should prioritize Lando Norris through team orders

Mercedes chief comments on the McLaren team orders discussion

Mercedes chief Toto Wolff has indicated that McLaren might need to make a tough decision regarding team orders as the Formula 1 championship battle nears its end.

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

Piastri overtook his teammate with a daring maneuver on the outside of the Della Roggia chicane. Shortly after, Norris surrendered another spot to Ferrari's Charles Leclerc at the next turn.

Norris secured a third-place finish, trailing behind Piastri and Leclerc, which 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 expressed that being a top-tier racing team puts McLaren in a difficult position. He noted that while McLaren’s drivers are competitive racers, similar to his own team, it was still surprising to see them allowed to compete against each other.

"We aim to ensure that the most qualified individual succeeds, but when the situation turns problematic and affects the team's performance, how should we respond to it?"

"The team often ends up losing because when you lock positions and implement team orders, it might not align with what our racing spirit desires, but logic and reason need to take precedence."

"You don't want to miss out on winning a championship by just a few points that you could have easily earned. Balancing this is incredibly challenging, and there's no one-size-fits-all approach to managing it."

Wolff mentioned that Andrea Stella, the head of the McLaren team, might need to re-evaluate their ‘Papaya Rules’ and shift away from his “racers’ soul” strategy.

"Andrea Stella and Zak Brown have an unmatched understanding of sports," Wolff remarked. "Andrea has witnessed numerous situations unfold firsthand during his time at Ferrari."

"He possesses the competitive spirit typical of racers, who prefer to let the competition unfold naturally. However, I believe that following this race, there will be a decision on how to manage this situation moving forward."

"At that point, we began implementing guidelines for engagement and then revised the terminology to 'racing intent' since the term 'rules' seemed too strict for the drivers."

Discover More

Recent Updates

Recent Updates

Site Map

Crash.Net

©1999-2024 Crash Media Group

It is prohibited to reproduce any part or the entirety of the text, photos, or illustrations in any manner.