**”Toto Wolff Urges McLaren to Prioritize Lando Norris with Team Orders Amid F1 Title Battle”**

Toto Wolff believes McLaren should prioritize Lando Norris through team orders

The head of Mercedes weighs in on McLaren's team orders discussion

Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff has hinted that McLaren may 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 of Red Bull's rough weekend by securing the top two positions on the Italian Grand Prix starting grid. However, pole-sitter Lando Norris dropped from first to third place on 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. Shortly after, Norris was overtaken again, this time by Ferrari's Charles Leclerc at the next turn.

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

Toto Wolff commented on McLaren's decision to let their drivers compete, saying, "As a racing team that is now fighting at the front, you find yourself in a difficult position. On one hand, they are racers just like us."

"Our goal is to ensure that the most deserving person comes out on top, but when the situation starts to become chaotic and negatively affects the team's performance, how should we respond?"

"The team consistently finds itself at a disadvantage because, when you lock in positions and implement team orders, it may go against our competitive spirit, but the logical approach has to take priority."

"You certainly don't want to miss out on winning a championship by just a few points that were within your reach. Balancing this challenge is extremely tough, and there's no one-size-fits-all approach to managing it."

Wolff suggested that McLaren's team leader, Andrea Stella, might need to reassess their 'Papaya Rules' and consider shifting from his current "racer's soul" strategy.

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

"He possesses a competitive spirit that hesitates to interfere and prefers to let the racers compete freely, but I believe they will reach a decision after this race… what’s our approach to managing this?"

“This is when we began to implement the guidelines for engagement, and later we revised the terminology to 'racing intent' because 'rules' seemed too strict for the drivers.”

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