**”Toto Wolff Urges McLaren to Reconsider Team Orders in Favour of Lando Norris Amid F1 Title Battle”**

Toto Wolff suggests McLaren prioritize Lando Norris through team orders

Mercedes chief comments on the McLaren team orders controversy

Mercedes chief Toto Wolff has hinted 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 Red Bull's Max Verstappen having an off weekend by securing the top two spots on the Italian Grand Prix starting grid. However, pole position holder 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, and then Norris lost another spot to Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc at the next turn.

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

Toto Wolff commented on the challenging position of a leading racing team, stating, "When you're suddenly competing at the front, it's a tough spot. On one hand, the team and drivers are all racers at heart," in response to a question about his thoughts on McLaren letting their drivers compete against each other.

"We aim to ensure that the most deserving individual succeeds, but when it begins to cause chaos and negatively affect the team's performance, what steps should be taken?"

"The team consistently finds itself at a disadvantage because, when you impose fixed positions and enforce team orders, it might not align with the passionate spirit of racing we aim for. However, the logical approach must take priority."

“In the end, you don’t want to miss out on winning a championship because of three or five points that you could have easily earned. Balancing this is extremely challenging, and there is no single correct way to manage it.”

Wolff suggested that Andrea Stella, the head of the McLaren team, might need to reconsider their 'Papaya Rules' and potentially shift from his current "racers’ soul" strategy.

Toto Wolff remarked that Andrea Stella and Zak Brown have an unparalleled understanding of sports. He pointed out that Andrea has witnessed various situations unfold firsthand during his time at Ferrari.

"He possesses a competitive spirit that resists interference and prefers to let the racers compete freely. However, I believe they will reach a decision on managing this situation after the race concludes… what is our approach to this?"

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

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