Toto Wolff Urges McLaren to Implement Team Orders to Boost Lando Norris’s Title Hopes

Toto Wolff suggests that McLaren ought to prioritize team orders to benefit Lando Norris

The head of Mercedes shares his opinion on the ongoing discussion about McLaren's team orders

Mercedes chief Toto Wolff has indicated that McLaren may now 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 Red Bull's Max Verstappen having a difficult weekend by securing the top two spots on the starting grid for the Italian Grand Prix. However, Lando Norris, who began 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 on the exterior of the Della Roggia chicane, shortly before Norris conceded another spot to Ferrari's Charles Leclerc at the next turn.

Norris secured third place, trailing behind Piastri and Leclerc, and managed to narrow Verstappen’s lead in the drivers’ championship to 62 points with eight races left. Verstappen, meanwhile, finished in sixth place.

When asked about his thoughts on McLaren letting their drivers compete, Wolff commented, “As a racing team now competing at the forefront, they face a tough situation. On one hand, their drivers are racers just like we are.”

"Our goal is to ensure the most deserving person succeeds, but when the situation turns problematic and starts to negatively affect the team’s performance, what steps do you take in response?"

The team frequently ends up losing because when you lock in positions and impose team orders, it might not align with the spirit of racing we love, but the logical approach has to take priority.

"In the end, you don't want to miss winning a championship by a small margin, like three or five points, which you could have easily gained. Balancing this is extremely challenging, and there's no single correct way to manage it."

Wolff suggested that McLaren team boss Andrea Stella might need to reassess their ‘Papaya Rules’ and shift from his "racer's soul" strategy.

Toto Wolff stated, "Andrea Stella and Zak Brown have an unparalleled understanding of sports. Andrea, in particular, has witnessed numerous situations unfold firsthand during his time at Ferrari."

"He possesses the spirit of a true racer, reluctant to intervene and preferring to let the competitors race freely. However, I believe they will reach a decision following this race… what approach are we taking?"

"At this point, we began to implement guidelines for engagement and then altered the terminology to 'racing intent' because the word 'rules' seemed too strict for the drivers."

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