Why Mclaren is solely responsible for the unrest among their drivers: Opinion
McLaren: 2025 F1 Constructor Champions - The team around Andrea Stella and Zak Brown has done it again, but in even more dominant fashion than the season before, securing the title with 6 races to go at the Singapore GP. However, among the cheers of celebration, there are also some dissatisfied voices to be heard. The normally moderate Oscar Piastri seemed upset whilst and after the race, following a collision with teammate Lando Norris in lap 1. The Australian’s anger wasn’t directed at Norris, but rather at the lack of clarity regarding the team’s “Papaya Rules”. After controversy in Monza and now Singapore, the team’s way of handling their drivers sparked unrest within the team - a development that could strike back in the near future.
The Papaya Rules need makeover
While the team is trying hard to avoid any missteps, they seem to cause them instead. The key issue with Mclaren’s internal rules is that it feels like even the drivers themselves don’t know how they are defined. In an interview with Autosport in August this year, Oscar Piastri offered insights on how he understood the definition of the Papaya Rules: “There’s always been a lot more made out of the papaya rules than what there actually is. It’s literally one rule, which is: don’t crash into each other.“ Following the events at this years Monza Grand Prix, questions about the completeness of this definition arised. However, this definition helps us understanding the Australian’s anger after his teammate hitting him in last weekends race, as the only team-intern rule, according to Piastri’s definition, was broken. Lando Norris seemed skeptical towards the team’s decisions as well, as he denied race engineer Will Joseph’s request to let Piastri pit first: (Joseph): “Lando, the gap to Oscar is 4.7. He’s going to have to pit soon to cover Leclerc. Are you willing to let Oscar pit the lap before you?” (Norris): “Yep. Er, no, I wouldn’t.”
If Zak Brown and Andrea Stella want to preserve peace between their drivers, they need to act. The team needs clearly specified rules and more driver-freedom. Both Piastri and Norris are in a championship fight, and none of them wants and should gift points to their rival. If the team continues to intervene, frustration will build up, which could ultimately trigger a heated rivalry.
Even though the constructors championship has already been secured, there is still a lot to loose for McLaren. Max Verstappen is well in contention for the drivers championship - and if Piastri and Norris are starting to settle their rivalry on the track, the Dutchman will be more than happy to take the open invitation. Measures must be taken - and they need to come swiftly.
written by Tizian Hatzmann