Wolff warns McLaren: Caution with team orders in F1

Toto Wolff Warns McLaren About Team Orders and Potential Precedents

Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff has expressed his concern over McLaren’s decisions at the Italian Grand Prix, where team orders were used to swap the positions of Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris. McLaren’s strategy, which involved a change of positions due to an error in Norris’s pit stop, has generated debate about the creation of precedents in Formula 1.

There is a risk of setting precedents when team orders are issued.

Toto Wolff

Wolff, with experience in managing internal rivalries at Mercedes, noted that there is no clear answer as to whether McLaren’s decision was correct. The Mercedes executive questioned the consequences of setting a precedent, wondering what would happen if the team made another mistake in the future. Furthermore, Wolff emphasized the importance of maintaining a clear strategy, whether prioritizing direct competition or seeking a fair balance. Wolff also acknowledged that the situation at McLaren is different from the one he experienced at Mercedes with Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg, describing the McLaren drivers as less prone to confrontation.

Wolff concluded that only time will tell if the team orders in Monza will have repercussions in the fight for the championship, although he admitted that McLaren is in a privileged position.