F1
**Toto Wolff Urges McLaren to Prioritize Lando Norris in F1 Title Race Amid Team Orders Debate**
Toto Wolff: McLaren ought to prioritize Lando Norris with team orders
Mercedes chief weighs in on the McLaren team orders discussion
Mercedes chief Toto Wolff has indicated 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 challenging weekend for Red Bull by securing the top two spots on the starting grid for the Italian Grand Prix. However, pole position holder Lando Norris dropped from first to third place during the opening 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, and then Norris surrendered another spot to Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc at the next turn.
Norris secured third place, trailing Piastri and Leclerc, and reduced Verstappen’s lead in the drivers' standings to 62 points with eight races left, as the Dutchman finished in sixth position.
"As a leading racing team, you find yourself in a tough spot," Wolff commented when questioned about McLaren letting their drivers compete against each other. "On one hand, they are racers just like us."
"We aim to ensure that the most deserving individual prevails, but when the situation turns counterproductive and starts affecting the team's efficiency, what steps should be taken to address it?"
"The team often faces defeat because when you lock in positions and enforce team orders, it may go against the spirit of racing, but the logical approach must take precedence."
"In the end, 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 extremely challenging, and there's no one-size-fits-all solution for managing it."
Wolff suggested that McLaren team boss Andrea Stella might need to reconsider their 'Papaya Rules' and shift away from his "racer's spirit" strategy.
Toto Wolff commented, "Andrea Stella and Zak Brown have an unparalleled understanding of the sport. Andrea has witnessed numerous situations unfold firsthand during his time at Ferrari."
"He has the spirit of a true racer, resisting the idea of intervention and preferring to let them compete freely, but I believe a decision will be reached following this race… what’s our approach to managing this?"
"At this point, we began implementing the engagement guidelines, later altering the term to 'racing intent' because 'rules' sounded too strict for the drivers."
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