Toto Wolff Urges McLaren to Rethink Team Orders for Lando Norris as F1 Title Race Intensifies

Toto Wolff suggests McLaren prioritize Lando Norris with team orders

Mercedes chief gives his opinion on McLaren's team orders discussion

Mercedes chief Toto Wolff has indicated that McLaren faces a tough decision regarding the use of team orders as the F1 championship battle nears its end.

McLaren seemed to be in an ideal position to take advantage of Max Verstappen's disappointing weekend for Red Bull by securing the top two spots on the Italian Grand Prix starting grid. However, pole-sitter Lando Norris dropped from first to third 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, and then Norris fell back another spot as Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc passed him at the next turn.

Norris secured a third-place finish, trailing Piastri and Leclerc, and managed to reduce 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 by saying, "As a leading racing team, you find yourself in a tough position. On one hand, they are competitors just like we are."

“We aim to ensure that the most qualified individual succeeds, but when the situation turns chaotic and starts to negatively affect the team's performance, how should we respond?”

"The team frequently ends up losing because when you lock in positions and enforce team orders, it may not align with the spirit of racing we desire, but the logical approach must take precedence."

"In the end, you don't want to miss out on a championship because of a few points that you could have easily gained. Balancing this challenge is incredibly tough, and there's no one-size-fits-all solution for managing it."

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

Toto Wolff commented that no one has a deeper understanding of sports than Andrea Stella and Zak Brown. He mentioned that Andrea has witnessed many situations unfold firsthand during his time at Ferrari.

"He possesses the spirit of a true racer who prefers not to intervene and just let them compete. However, I believe a decision will be reached after this race… What's our approach to this situation?"

"At this point, we began to establish guidelines for engagement, but we later altered the terminology to 'racing intent' as 'rules' seemed too strict for the drivers."

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