Toto Wolff warns McLaren’s lead in the Constructors’ race complicates team dynamics as Norris and Piastri push for personal glory.
Toto Wolff believes McLaren F1’s situation regarding the battle between its two drivers would be easier if the team didn’t have such a large lead in the Constructors’ Championship. The Mercedes team principal explains that this situation would otherwise allow their rivals to impose team orders that, under current circumstances, wouldn’t make sense.
“This obviously increases the complexity if the Constructors’ Championship is in your hands, because the team can always argue ‘we need to win the Constructors’ Championship’. We need to score those points.’ But in this case, they are so far ahead that there’s not even a question about whether they’ll win this championship. So it’s a delicate situation,” Wolff admits.
Asked about the footage of the collision between Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri in Montreal, the Austrian joked that he had already experienced it with Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg: “I’ve seen the movie before! I was there as an actor. It’s difficult because that’s what drivers are wired and conditioned to do: win championships.”
Wolff is not worried about Andrea Stella, McLaren’s team principal: “The personalities are very different from what they were with us. And it’s a matter of good management to learn that. But we learned it by doing it, and I’m sure these guys will manage to do it as well.”