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

Toto Wolff suggests McLaren might want to implement team orders to benefit Lando Norris

Mercedes leader weighs in on the discussion about McLaren's team strategy

Mercedes chief Toto Wolff has hinted that McLaren may need to make a tough decision regarding the use of team orders as the F1 championship battle nears its end.

McLaren seemed poised to take full advantage of Max Verstappen's disappointing weekend for Red Bull by securing the top two spots on the Italian Grand Prix starting grid. However, pole position holder Lando Norris dropped from first to third during 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 then Norris gave up another spot to Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc at the next turn.

Norris secured a third-place finish, trailing Piastri and Leclerc. This result reduced Verstappen’s lead in the drivers’ championship to 62 points, as the Dutchman managed to finish only in sixth place with eight races left in the season.

Toto Wolff commented on the challenging position a racing team finds itself in when competing at the front. He explained that such a team is caught in a difficult situation because, on one hand, their drivers are racers, just as his team’s drivers are. Wolff's remarks came in response to a question about whether he was surprised by McLaren's decision to let their drivers compete against each other.

"We aim to ensure that the most qualified individual succeeds, but when the situation becomes counterproductive and affects the team's efficiency, how should one respond?"

"The team consistently faces defeat because when you lock in positions and impose team orders, it may not align with our racing passion, but logic must take priority."

"In the end, you don’t want to miss out on a championship by a small margin, like three or five points, that you could have easily secured. Balancing this is incredibly challenging, and there isn't a one-size-fits-all solution for managing it."

Wolff suggested that Andrea Stella, the team principal of McLaren, might need to reassess the 'Papaya Rules' and consider shifting from his current "racers' soul" strategy.

Toto Wolff commented, "Andrea Stella and Zak Brown possess an unparalleled understanding of the sport. Andrea, in particular, has witnessed numerous events unfold firsthand during his tenure at Ferrari."

"He possesses a racer's mindset, hesitant to interfere and preferring to see the competition play out, but I believe a decision will be made after this race… what steps are we taking to manage this?"

"At this point, we began outlining the guidelines for engagement and later adjusted the terminology to 'racing intent' because the term 'rules' seemed too strict for the drivers."

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