The “Papaya rules” debate continues to dominate McLaren’s press conferences. The latest came during the presentation of the MCL40, when CEO Zak Brown responded to remarks made by Australian Senator Matthew Canavan, Vice President of the Parliamentary Committee on Regional Affairs and Transport. Last December, Canavan suggested that McLaren was biased against Oscar Piastri, a claim Brown was keen to address.
“Ridiculous” claims
Asked about the senator’s comments, Zak Brown didn’t hold back: “Regardless of the country, sports fans all have their opinions. Again, this isn’t about a specific nation, but it can be frustrating when people are so misinformed and the claims you read are ridiculous. Oscar has said many times that he knows he is treated fairly. Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose, and things can go your way or not. We’ve cost Oscar some points, but also plenty for Lando, for example in the Netherlands…”
Brown referred to Lando Norris’ retirement in Zandvoort due to a technical issue with his MCL39, which cost the Briton 18 championship points. He continued: “We have to keep our heads down and stay focused. The people who matter most to us—the ones who know we are absolutely fair—are our team, Papaya fans, sponsors, families, and friends. It’s a shame that some parliament members, who I would say are very far from understanding Formula 1, say things like this, when I wouldn’t dare comment on the work they do, as I’m not an expert. That said, I bet I could make a comment or two.”
The Australia GP incident
Another episode that defined the Norris-Piastri duel in 2025 was the Australian GP, when at one point McLaren asked Oscar Piastri to hold position, despite being close to the future world champion. “They were free to race,” Brown explained. “If you look at what was happening during the race, we didn’t know if it would stay dry or wet. We were leading with a good margin and Oscar was closing on Lando. We didn’t know if we had to make it to the end with those tires, with traffic in between and the track half dry and half wet. We pressed the pause button, not the stop button. You saw what happened shortly after, with both going off track. Conditions were very tricky.”
“Being free to race doesn’t mean there aren’t moments when you have to take account of what’s happening. The decision had nothing to do with the competition between Lando and Oscar. We didn’t want to put both of our cars at risk without knowing how the track and weather conditions would evolve.”
In closing, Zak Brown urged fans to look beyond what is seen on TV: “We’ve said it hundreds of times. Maybe some people were caught up in the moment watching live, but we explained why. […] I think this is a perfect example that some people should be better informed about the dynamics of our races.”
Zak Brown’s firm rebuttal highlights the intense scrutiny McLaren faces as it manages two of the sport’s brightest talents under the spotlight of the “Papaya Rules.” By dismissing political interference as misinformed, the McLaren CEO is reasserting the team’s commitment to internal fairness and operational logic over external narrative. As the 2026 Formula 1 season begins, the tension between team orders and individual ambition remains a central theme, reminding fans that while McLaren strives for parity, the complex realities of the racetrack often require decisions that transcend simple national or fan-based preferences.
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