On the eve of a brand-new Formula 1 season, McLaren team principal Andrea Stella has once again made his position crystal clear: there will be no designated number one driver in 2026. The Woking-based squad will continue to treat Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri on equal terms, following the philosophy that underpinned its successful 2025 campaign. After a year that delivered major results, McLaren believes that fairness, integrity and equal opportunities remain the strongest possible foundations, even while acknowledging that managing two top-level drivers requires constant attention and refinement.
One of the most debated topics throughout much of the 2025 season was McLaren’s internal driver management. The so-called “papaya rules”, strongly supported by the team’s leadership, split opinion across the paddock. Some observers argued that McLaren should have clearly identified a lead driver between Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris, while others felt that traditional hierarchies no longer fit modern Formula 1. In the end, Andrea Stella and CEO Zak Brown were vindicated: McLaren secured both world titles without the controversy and backlash that team orders might have generated.
The subject resurfaced during McLaren’s first press conference of the 2026 season. Among the initial questions put to Andrea Stella was whether the approach used last year would be maintained or if changes were planned. Having taken the drivers’ championship fight all the way to the chequered flag at Yas Marina, McLaren could have been tempted to abandon its strict policy of equality. However, Stella left no room for doubt.
“The concepts of fairness, integrity, equal opportunities and sportsmanship are all fundamental for the team, and as such they are confirmed,” Stella stated.
The Italian engineer went on to explain that the team had carefully reviewed the previous season in order to identify areas for improvement, including the way its drivers are managed. “We have calmly and thoroughly evaluated how last season unfolded to identify opportunities to improve,” Stella said. “This analysis obviously also included the management of our drivers. We discussed it with them as well, and in the end there was a shared desire to reaffirm, as I said before, the principles of fairness, integrity, equal opportunities and sportsmanship. These values are fundamental for the team, for Lando and for Oscar. Therefore, they are reaffirmed, confirmed and strengthened.”
At the same time, Stella openly acknowledged that the ‘papaya’ approach demands a significant amount of energy from the entire organisation. Balancing two drivers who are both capable of fighting at the front requires constant communication and clarity. “We recognise that the work required in relation to internal competition has been significant, both for the team and, to a certain extent, for the drivers as well,” he admitted. “So any opportunity to simplify the way we go racing together will be very welcome.”
Looking back at McLaren’s internal processes, Stella believes the team largely made the right calls in 2025, but he is convinced there is still room to streamline operations. “When reviewing our work, in most cases it emerged that what we did is exactly what we would do again,” he explained. “However, we did identify some opportunities to simplify the way we operate collectively.”
As Formula 1 heads into a crucial regulatory era and competition at the front grows ever tighter, McLaren’s commitment to equal treatment could once again become a defining characteristic of its campaign. For now, Norris and Piastri will enter 2026 knowing that performance on track, rather than status within the team, will determine who comes out on top.
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