The two Formula One team-mates are ‘free to race’, according to Norris, with Piastri declaring a clean slate after last year’s controversy.
McLaren F1 team-mates Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris won’t be held back by team orders – dubbed ‘papaya rules’ – when they line up side-by-side at today’s 2025 Formula One Australian Grand Prix.
The two McLaren drivers qualified first and second in a front-row lock for this afternoon’s race, Norris beating home favourite Piastri to pole position by a mere 0.084 seconds, with reigning World Drivers’ Champion Max Verstappen in third for Red Bull.
“There are no papaya rules; I mean, there’s nothing – we’re free to race each other,” Lando Norris told media – including Drive – in a press conference at the Australian Grand Prix.
“We want to fight for a win and victories – that’s clear – but there’s boundaries around the car, so it’s just a little more space here and there, but we’re free to race.”
The two drivers locked horns on several occasions, most notably during Piastri’s first Grand Prix win in Hungary, and at the Italian Grand Prix in Monza when the Australian stole the lead from Norris in a decisive – yet risky – overtake.
The decision to introduce ‘papaya rules’ as rules of engagement followed so that Norris – who was ahead in the Drivers’ Championship standings – could mount a challenge to leader Verstappen for the title.
“I obviously want to win the race as much as Lando does,” Piastri said. “Obviously the number one rule is to have no contact and you know, give each other space, so that’s no different.
“If there’s opportunities to take advantage of certain situations, then we will – we’re free to do that – but ultimately we are racing for the team, it’s a very important thing for us.”
Significantly, the pair combined to win McLaren the 2024 Constructors’ Championship, with both having gifted each other Sprint race wins where it was deemed fair to the other.
“I think we said numerous times last year, the teamwork that we showed as drivers but also as a team is what won us the constructors’ championship last year. I think it’s important to recognise that fact,” the Australian said.
The 2024 constructors’ title was McLaren’s first since 1998, coincidentally the same year the team’s drivers at that time stirred controversy after a pre-race deal to allow whoever was ahead at the first corner to win that year’s season opener at Albert Park.
Having qualified first and second, McLaren team-mates Mika Hakkinen led David Coulthard into the first corner – but Hakkinen lost the lead after a bungled radio call.
Coulthard, who had built a 12-second lead, later pulled aside on the front straight to let his team-mate win for a McLaren one-two, honouring the pair’s agreement.
This weekend’s Australian Grand Prix sees a reset for the team, with both drivers capable of victory – and locked into long-term agreements to drive with McLaren for years to come.
“Yeah I mean, we’re starting from a clean slate, and ultimately, whoever’s going to be faster on track is going to be the one who wins and finishes higher,” Piastri said to media in a press conference.
“So yeah, we’re very much clear on how we’re going into the season, and that’s racing each other and trying to hopefully fight for wins. It’s all very clear.
“We’ve discussed a lot from last season and how we managed the back end of last year. And I think this year, starting from zero again, we’re both going to be trying our best to win.”
McLaren team principal Andrea Stella said the change in approach between the two drivers in 2024, and the way they addressed the situations, set the foundation for how the team will enter 2025.
“We definitely – like any other team – have looked at what could have been done better and what we had done well last year,” Stella said.
“Actually we’re quite proud of what we achieved in terms of internal competition – the respect, the relationship inside and outside the car, the head-to-head racing that happened at times between Lando and Oscar.”
“They offered a couple of situations that we reviewed together but offered a large majority of how we want to see our two drivers work together – race together – and this actually gave us a good reference as to how we want to continue for the future.”
“I think that was a very collaborative, supportive process and I feel that we are entering this season in a very strong position.”
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