**Toto Wolff Urges McLaren to Reconsider Team Orders Amidst Tightening F1 Title Race**

Toto Wolff suggests McLaren prioritize Lando Norris with team orders

The head of Mercedes shares his opinion on McLaren's 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 rough weekend at the Italian Grand Prix by securing the top two positions on the grid. However, pole-sitter Lando Norris dropped from first to third place during the opening lap after 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 by Ferrari's Charles Leclerc at the next corner.

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

When asked if he was surprised that McLaren permitted their drivers to compete against each other, Wolff remarked, "As a team that is now fighting at the top, you find yourself in a difficult position because, on one hand, their drivers are racers just like ours."

"Our goal is to ensure the most deserving person succeeds, but when things start to go awry and it affects the team's performance, what steps do you take in response?"

"The team consistently faces defeat because implementing fixed positions and team orders might stifle our racing spirit, even though it's the logical choice."

"You don't want to miss out on a championship by just a few points that you could have easily earned. Balancing on that fine line is incredibly challenging, and there's no one-size-fits-all solution for managing it."

Wolff suggested that McLaren's team leader, Andrea Stella, might need to reconsider their 'Papaya Rules' and shift from his current "racers' soul" strategy.

Toto Wolff remarked that Andrea Stella and Zak Brown have an unparalleled understanding of the sport. He highlighted that Andrea has witnessed many similar situations firsthand during his time at Ferrari.

“He possesses the spirit of a true racer who prefers not to intervene and wants the competitors to race freely. However, I believe they will reach a decision after this race… what is our approach to managing this?”

“At this point, we began implementing guidelines for engagement, but we later altered the terminology to 'racing intent' because the term 'rules' felt too strict for the drivers.”

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