Carlos Sainz expresses understanding for McLaren’s ‘Papaya rules’. Even after winning the constructors’ title, the team continues to adhere to on-track conduct rules for its two drivers, a move that the Spaniard believes is related to the rise of Max Verstappen. ‘You want to win the championship for your two drivers, so you want to keep them relatively under control,’ explains Sainz.
McLaren is still striving to ensure a level playing field for its two drivers, Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris, with the help of the so-called ‘Papaya rules’. For instance, the British team instructed Piastri in Monza to make way for Norris following the latter’s slow pit stop. After the Singapore GP – where Norris overtook his teammate in the first corner combination with a slight nudge – it was the Brit who faced ‘consequences’ for his actions.
McLaren’s Strategy Amidst Championship Tensions
Despite McLaren having already secured the constructor’s title, the team is sticking to the ‘Papaya rules’ in an attempt to prevent further incidents between their drivers. Carlos Sainz, who was a McLaren driver himself between 2019 and 2020, approves of his former employer’s approach. “It depends on the team’s dominance,” the Spaniard told F1.com. “I think the Mercedes years were a perfect example of a team so dominant that they could afford to compete more with each other.”
Verstappen’s Impact
However, according to Sainz, this is not the case with McLaren due to the recent rise of Max Verstappen. The Dutchman has gained a substantial sixty points on championship leader Piastri since the summer break. “I think when the championship could go to another team or another driver, you have to respect that and be a bit more cautious,” the Williams driver continued. “Even if the teams don’t say it, the drivers’ championship is something a team wants to win.”
Sainz added that in a title fight as close as this one, discipline within the McLaren garage could be a decisive factor in the three-way battle. “It doesn’t matter who the other driver is,” said the Spaniard. “If a championship can be won for the team and the driver, and you have two drivers fighting for it, and there’s one man who can take it away, then it does matter whether that’s Carlos Sainz, Max Verstappen or Charles Leclerc. You want to win the championship for your two drivers, so you want to keep them relatively under control.”
