After the Abu Dhabi on-track celebration came the more formal one, in suits and ties, at the FIA Gala in Tashkent. McLaren was officially crowned the 2025 world champion both in the Constructors’ Championship, for the second consecutive year, and in the Drivers’ Championship, with Lando Norris securing his first career title. A historic achievement that, during the awards evening, was reflected upon by the two key managerial figures behind the ‘papaya’ success: CEO Zak Brown and team principal Andrea Stella.
Winning their way
Speaking after receiving the Constructors’ Trophy, the two leading figures of this McLaren era once again highlighted their approach to racing—often criticized from the outside, but ultimately proven effective. “All the men and women at McLaren did an incredible job, guided by our two fantastic drivers and of course by Andrea [Stella],” Zak Brown said while accepting the award. “Everyone said it was impossible to reach the final race with two drivers still in contention for the championship. I’m very proud of how McLaren raced, and this is exactly what we intend to do again next year.”
The floor then went to Andrea Stella, who once again emphasized McLaren’s distinctive ‘way of racing.’ While the term ‘Papaya Rules’ wasn’t explicitly mentioned, the reference was unmistakable: “The drivers are the ones who earned the results, the points, the victories, the podiums, and ultimately made us Constructors’ Champions. Furthermore, we are very proud of how they conducted themselves, allowing McLaren to let them race freely. This is what we do. We compete, and we did it with fairness and equality. So I want to thank Lando and Oscar.” – the former Ferrari race engineer concluded.
Leave a Reply