McLaren vows to follow papaya rules, Lando Norris not guaranteed favoritism yet. Lando Norris close to title, but McLaren remains committed to fairness.

“We’ll back a single driver only when the math says so”: will McLaren stick to the papaya rules?

Three-way battle

With 58 points still up for grabs, Lando Norris holds a comfortable 24-point lead over teammate Oscar Piastri and Max Verstappen. The Dutch driver, in particular, cannot be ignored by McLaren, as he has clearly scored the most points of any driver since the summer break. Many are asking whether, given Oscar Piastri’s recent lackluster form, the British team should consider fully backing Norris from the upcoming Qatar Grand Prix.

The papaya rules: no favoritism for Lando Norris

Lando Norris is very close to the world championship, needing just 2 more points than Oscar Piastri and Max Verstappen by the end of the Lusail weekend to secure the title. With such a critical milestone within reach, it is natural to wonder whether the famous papaya rules are absolute, leaving no room for exceptions.

To understand how McLaren might act and whether they will consider backing Norris from the start of the Qatar weekend, it helps to look back at Austin a month ago. The team was clear—and even emphatic—with its top management. CEO Zak Brown left no room for doubt: “In our current situation, we will give both drivers the chance to fight for the championship, even if it carries risks, like in 2007. But we are all aware and prepared.”

Team principal Andrea Stella was equally straightforward: “When it comes time to decide on a single driver, that decision will be guided only by the math.” Both comments came when Max Verstappen was already mounting a comeback (he was 40 points behind then-leader Oscar Piastri) and with full awareness of the apocalyptic scenario of potentially losing a seemingly secure drivers’ title.

Everything suggests that McLaren will remain faithful to the papaya rules and will not single out Norris from Qatar. However, if the championship comes down to Abu Dhabi and Oscar Piastri is mathematically out of contention, the situation could change.

With Max Verstappen charging hard and the pressure cranking up to unbearable levels, McLaren’s refusal to blink first is either admirable principle or a historic gamble – but for now, the papaya rules live on.