Papaya Rules: McLaren’s Power Struggle

As the 2025 season enters its final quarter, the question looming over Formula 1 is simple, who will be this year’s Drivers’ Champion? Can Norris shake off the ghost of 2024 and deliver McLaren’s first Drivers’ Championship in over a decade? or Will Piastri, McLaren’s rising star, steal the spotlight? and who could forget Verstappen, the reigning king - can he still pull off the impossible?

Given the impending 2026 rule changes, for both McLaren racers, this might be their one and only real shot to be crowned the Drivers’ Champion. All season long, Norris and Piastri have been locked in a tight battle for the lead, and after this weekend’s Brazilian Grand Prix, they sit just 24 points apart in the standings.

McLaren introduced the so-called “papaya rules” in the latter half of 2024 to address growing concern over whether internal team orders were needed as McLaren refused to pick a number one driver. These rules are seemingly very simple; teammates may race each other as much as they like as long as it doesn’t end in a collision. As McLaren CEO Zak Brown put it after the 2024 Monza GP, “Papaya rules are it’s your teammate; race him hard, race him clean, don’t touch, that happened. It was an aggressive pass so that’s a conversation we’ll have, that was a bit nerve wracking on pit wall but it’s really just respect your teammate.”

However, these rules have been repeatedly tested and broken, by both drivers. Take Canada for instance, in a high-pressure battle for P4, Norris attempted to overtake Piastri down the straight, causing him to lose control, hit the wall, and suffer a DNF. Piastri escaped, widening his championship lead to 22 points.

Tension boiled over again at the Singapore GP, where McLaren secured their second straight Constructors’ Championship. Despite the celebrations, the strain within the team was impossible to ignore. On the first lap, Norris made a bold move towards a momentary gap left between Verstappen and Piastri, which was quickly closed. This resulted in Norris making contact with his teammate and in the process damaging his own front wing and nudging his teammate wide. Norris, despite damage, put up a good fight for P2 but was unable to get past Verstappen and in the end settling for P3.

Meanwhile Piastri, after a 5.2 second pit stop, crossed the line in P4.

The incident reignited the debate over McLaren’s internal balance. Norris dismissed it as “just racing,” claiming any driver would have done the same. Piastri meanwhile saw the situation differently, by audibly expressing his frustration over the radio, “So, are we cool with Lando just barging me out of the way? Yeah, that’s not very team like, for sure.”

Fans quickly began speculating about Team Principal Andrea Stella’s role in the dynamic, with some accusing him of favouritism toward Norris. Piastri’s absence from the post-race celebrations only fuelled the rumours.

If roles were reversed and if Piastri had been the one to push Norris wide, or if the team had ordered a position swap like at Silverstone - the Driver Championship picture might have looked very different.

The “Papaya Rules” were meant to empower both drivers. Instead, they may be exposing a deeper imbalance,  one that could decide the title and perhaps even McLaren’s future harmony.