McLaren’s elusive “papaya rules” (or any other rules for that matter) have been causing quite the stir in the Formula One community for quite a while now. They were put in the spotlight yet again in Monza, with many fans believing they destroyed the excitement of the last laps of the Grand Prix.
The term “papaya rules” was, somewhat fittingly, introduced almost exactly a year ago, during the 2024 Italian Grand Prix at Monza. It was used to communicate to Lando Norris that he was allowed to race his McLaren teammate. This led many to believe that the general agreement within the team was that the two drivers could fight for positions, as long as they did so without damaging their cars.
This would have been fine on its own, but later down the line, McLaren introduced other rules and team orders that ended up severely impacting races. A good example would be Oscar Piastri’s first win. The Australian wasn’t the polesitter; that title belonged to his teammate, but he did begin leading the race in its very early stages. He lost the position after McLaren’s questionable strategy led to Norris accidentally undercutting Piastri.
Since, up until that point, the race was Piastri’s to win, McLaren ordered Norris to give the lead back. He did so, although quite reluctantly, allowing the Australian to cross the finish line first. The team order was seen as quite controversial. For one thing, it punished Norris, who did nothing wrong. For the other, it prioritised the driver who had no chance of winning the WDC, instead of the one who could possibly challenge Verstappen.
The McLarens were the favourites going into the weekend, but neither of them managed to get pole position. That was an honour that went to Max Verstappen. Norris did take the lead from the Dutchman at the beginning of the race, but his time at the front didn’t last long. For the bigger part of the 53 laps around Monza, the two papaya cars were second and third.
The distance between Norris in front and Piastri behind him was large enough to give the Brit some peace of mind, so no one expected a switch in positions. Norris suggested that his teammate should go in for a pit stop before him to ensure that he wouldn’t be undercut by the Ferrari of Charles Leclerc. A lap later, he himself drove towards the garages.
That was when the race shifted. Due to some issues with his front left wheel, Norris had a terribly slow stop and, ultimately, rejoined the track behind Piastri. Just as the viewers were getting excited about the possibility of a fight for second place, the McLaren rules made a reappearance. The Australian was told to give back the position, and he did so without much fuss. There was no wheel-to-wheel racing between the teammates.
The team orders were undoubtedly the best way to keep the peace in McLaren, but they also took away from the race itself. The team has already all but won the Constructors’ Championship, so they don’t really need to worry about pushing as hard as possible. Instead, they can focus on the fight that is still ongoing: the one for the Drivers’ Championship.
Was it fair to give Norris a position he lost due to outside forces? Yes, but it was also the best way to ensure that the last laps at Monza would end up being nothing special. The non-McLaren fans are already annoyed with the season in which all other teams seem to struggle. Now, they are also losing the chance to see the tension of a proper championship fight. Placating the two drivers who still have the chance to get the ultimate trophy is undoubtedly healthy for McLaren’s dynamic and long-term future. It is also a sure way to make Sundays much more boring than they otherwise could have been.
McLaren has nothing to lose this season. They have been dominant in every aspect and now, on top of that, hold the power to make racing exciting again. How will they decide to proceed? With only eight races to go, will they let their drivers race as hard as they want? Or will keeping a team spirit interfere with making the 2025 season one to remember?
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