F1 | Wolff warns McLaren after Monza incident: could driver management backfire?
McLaren’s approach to driver management in recent years has sparked debate, and Toto Wolff has stepped in to share his thoughts. The Italian Grand Prix at Monza did not produce major on-track drama, yet a particular incident is still under discussion. We are referring to the position swap between the two papaya cars following a team order. McLaren’s strategy in handling their drivers has divided opinions among fans and members of the paddock for several seasons. Toto Wolff, a team principal who knows well what it means to have two drivers fighting for the championship in the same garage, commented on the situation and issued a warning to the Woking-based team.
The incident in question is the position swap ordered by the team at Monza. This occurred because Lando Norris lost second place to Oscar Piastri during the pit stop phase, due to an error that was not his own. As a result, the team decided to restore the original order before the stops, putting Lando back ahead and Oscar behind.
Regarding this decision, Toto Wolff noted: “There is no right and there is no wrong, and I am curious to see how this will end. You have created a precedent that will be very difficult to undo. And if the team makes another mistake and it’s not related to a pit stop… will they swap them again?”
Looking at it from another perspective, however, the Mercedes team principal also acknowledged: “At the same time, due to a team error, it wouldn’t be fair to make a driver lose points when they are trying to recover. So, I think that towards the end of the season, when things heat up, we will have the answer on whether all of this was fair or not.”
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