A McLaren team “caught in its own papaya rules” is preparing for the Abu Dhabi season finale, with CEO Zak Brown hinting at the winning strategy. Will Woking make a bold move ahead of the Yas Marina thriller?
Tensions are rising at McLaren following the Qatar Grand Prix. The British team has no time to pause as the dramatic conclusion at Yas Marina approaches. The delicate situation at McLaren demands careful strategic thinking for Abu Dhabi: should they stick to their risky “papaya rules” and maintain complete fairness between drivers, or focus entirely on Lando Norris while giving drivers freedom only until the end?
Throughout the 2025 season, the so-called papaya rules have sparked widespread discussion in the paddock and among fans. McLaren’s philosophy of total equality between its drivers has introduced multiple risks, primarily the risk of not closing out races at the crucial moments.
Continuing with full parity seems particularly dangerous ahead of Abu Dhabi. Some speculate that McLaren could prioritize Lando Norris, sacrificing Oscar Piastri in an effort to contain Max Verstappen’s comeback, now only 12 points behind the championship lead.
Zak Brown stays true to the papaya rules
Amid rumors, tension, and controversy, McLaren must carefully decide its strategy for Yas Marina, though Zak Brown was quite clear a few weeks ago. Speaking on the Formula 1 podcast Beyond the Grid, the American CEO said without hesitation: “If Max ends up being champion at the end of the year, it will be important for us to know we did our best according to our way of racing.”
“I want to be sure that if we don’t win, it’s him (Max Verstappen) who beats us. I don’t want us to defeat ourselves,” Brown explained, showing his firm commitment to maintaining the team’s “democratic” philosophy.
A shadow from the past hovers over the McLaren garage: “Of course, we are aware of what happened in 2007, when our two drivers were tied on points. We want two drivers who can compete for the drivers’ championship.”
Favoring one driver? “I’d rather lose”
Could McLaren sacrifice Piastri to favor Norris? Zak Brown doesn’t even consider it. He wants to win while staying true to the team’s philosophy: “I’d rather see our drivers tied on points with our rival winning by just one point than choose the other option. The alternative would be to tell one of our drivers, maybe separated by a single point: ‘I know you dream of winning the championship, but we flipped a coin and this year it’s not going to happen.’ Forget it, that’s not how we want to race.”
“If the outcome were the same as 2007, I’d prefer that result over a positive outcome obtained by favoring someone. We won’t do that. We are racers, we go out and race.”
F1 championship standings heading into Abu Dhabi
The checkered flag in Losail delivered yet another victory for Max Verstappen, more determined than ever in his pursuit of a fifth world title. Lando Norris remains the championship leader, though he managed to secure fourth place by capitalizing on a last-minute slip by a resolute Antonelli. McLaren’s other driver, Oscar Piastri, is still in title contention, arriving at Yas Marina in third after finishing P2 in Qatar. All three championship contenders have claimed seven victories each this season.
- Lando NORRIS (McLaren) – 408 points
- Max VERSTAPPEN (Red Bull) – 396 points (-12)
- Oscar PIASTRI (McLaren) – 392 points (-16)
Everything is still to play for under the Yas Marina floodlights. One thing is certain: McLaren will let their drivers race wheel-to-wheel to the flag – no matter the cost.
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