Will McLaren End “Papaya Rules” as Piastri–Norris Rivalry Heats Up

With the Constructors’ Championship already secured, McLaren enters the final stretch of the 2025 Formula 1 season facing a different kind of challenge, managing the increasingly intense on-track rivalry between Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris.

After the pair’s first-lap clash in Singapore, where the two McLarens made light contact, debate has reignited around the team’s internal “Papaya Rules”, the evolving code that governs how the drivers race each other to ensure fairness and avoid unnecessary collisions.

The McLaren Singapore Flashpoint

The Marina Bay incident saw Norris and Piastri bang wheels through the opening corners, prompting frustration from the Australian, who felt he had been unfairly forced wide. “Are we cool with Lando just barging me out of the way?” Piastri asked over team radio, before adding, “That’s not fair,” when told no action would be taken.

McLaren’s pit wall viewed the contact as a racing incident, suggesting Norris’s slight clip with Max Verstappen’s Red Bull ahead had triggered the chain reaction. The stewards agreed, taking no further action.

Still, the exchange raised questions about how McLaren might respond if a similar situation arises, and whether, with the Constructors’ title now secured, the team should continue to intervene at all.

A Balancing Act for Stella

Team principal Andrea Stella acknowledged after the race that the team would review the incident and “fine-tune” its internal guidelines if necessary. “We’ll discuss it with both drivers and see if our initial conclusions were right,” he said, emphasizing McLaren’s commitment to fairness and open communication.

Singapore marked the second time in recent races that Piastri has publicly questioned team decisions, the first being at Monza, when a slow pit stop for Norris prompted a position swap that Piastri later queried. While calm in post-race interviews, the Australian is believed to have been more forthright in internal debriefs, something Stella has said the team welcomes.

No Change in Approach

Despite speculation that McLaren might loosen its team management approach now that the Constructors’ Championship is wrapped up, Stella has ruled out any major shift. The team intends to continue applying its established framework for driver equality, even as the Drivers’ Championship battle intensifies.

With only a handful of races remaining, the stakes are higher than ever. Norris and Piastri are both still mathematically in contention for the title, and McLaren’s hopes of securing its first Drivers–Constructors double since 1998 depend on maintaining harmony, and trust, between its two star drivers.

As the paddock heads to Austin, the spotlight will be firmly on McLaren’s garage. The team’s greatest challenge may no longer come from Red Bull or Ferrari, but from the fine line between team unity and individual ambition.

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