Heading into the final race of the season, the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, Lando Norris continues to defend McLaren’s controversial ‘papaya rules’. The British driver suggests that the rules have often been criticized because many people are not fans of the ‘controlled manner’ in which McLaren has managed the internal title fight between its drivers. “That’s not what people want, people want chaos,” says Norris.
The so-called ‘papaya rules’ of McLaren have been a topic of discussion several times this season. The British team tried to give both drivers, Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, equal chances in the title fight through these rules. For instance, in Monza, McLaren instructed Piastri to let Norris pass after the Brit came onto the track behind the Australian due to a slow pit stop.
However, Norris believes that McLaren has handled such team orders well, despite the criticism. “The team has certainly disappointed many people because they have managed everything in a very controlled and very good way,” Norris tells The Athletic. “That’s not what people want, people want chaos! They say, ‘Oh, that’s not racing.’ Well, there’s no recipe for what that is. They let us race, we work together. That’s how we function as a team.”
‘Just Having Fun’
Whether or not the title goes home with Norris on Sunday remains to be seen. The McLaren driver himself is certainly grateful for how the season has unfolded. “I want to try to become the best driver ever,” Norris continues. “But at the same time, I think it’s especially important that I enjoy my experience, and I do. I just want to have fun, hang out with people I like to be around, that kind of thing. That makes it extra special.”
