Toto Wolff Urges McLaren to Implement Team Orders for Lando Norris as Title Race Intensifies

Toto Wolff suggests that McLaren should prioritize Lando Norris with team orders.

Mercedes team principal shares his opinion on the McLaren team orders discussion.

Mercedes chief Toto Wolff has hinted that McLaren may need to consider enforcing team orders as the F1 championship battle nears its end.

McLaren seemed poised to take full advantage of Max Verstappen's struggles during the Italian Grand Prix weekend by securing the top two spots on the starting grid. However, despite Lando Norris starting in pole position, he dropped from first to third place on the opening lap following a tussle with his McLaren teammate, Oscar Piastri.

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

Norris secured a third-place finish, trailing behind Piastri and Leclerc. As a result, he narrowed Verstappen’s lead in the drivers’ championship to 62 points with eight races left, given that the Dutchman ended up in sixth place.

Wolff commented on McLaren's decision to let their drivers compete, saying, "As a team now fighting at the front, they're in a tough spot. On one hand, they're racers just like us."

"We aim to ensure that the most deserving person succeeds, but when the situation becomes chaotic and starts affecting the team's performance, how should we respond?"

"The team often ends up losing because if you lock positions and impose team orders, it may not align with the spirit of racing we cherish, but the logical approach must take precedence."

In the end, nobody wants to miss out on a championship because of a few points that were within reach. Balancing this is extremely challenging, and there isn't a one-size-fits-all approach to managing it.

Wolff suggested that McLaren team boss Andrea Stella might need to reconsider their 'Papaya Rules' and shift from his "racing spirit" strategy.

Wolff commented that there is no one who understands sports better than Andrea Stella and Zak Brown. He mentioned that Andrea has experienced everything firsthand numerous times while at Ferrari.

"He possesses the spirit of a true racer, reluctant to interfere and preferring to let the competitors race freely. However, I believe they will reach a decision on how to manage this situation after the race concludes."

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

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