Particle.news
Download on the App Store

Piastri Seeks Winter Review as McLaren Signals ‘Papaya Rules’ Will Continue in 2026

McLaren’s internal framework from 2024 to balance its two drivers faces an off-season review.

Overview

  • Oscar Piastri says he will meet McLaren leadership over the winter to discuss potential tweaks to the in-house ‘Papaya rules’.
  • He defended the approach as broadly fair and beneficial, while noting moments he felt disadvantaged, citing Lando Norris’s Turn 2 move in Singapore.
  • The policy, introduced in 2024, asks teammates to cede position at times to ensure a fair outcome when racing each other.
  • McLaren CEO Zak Brown indicated at the FIA prize-giving gala that equal treatment of Piastri and Norris is expected to continue into 2026.
  • News18 reports McLaren completed a 2025 title double, with Norris winning the drivers’ championship by two points and the team taking the constructors’ crown.