Look Away, Oscar Piastri: McLaren Double Down On Infamous 'Papaya Rules' For 2026 F1 Season

Last Updated:January 22, 2026, 19:34 IST

McLaren will keep their Papaya Rules for 2026, ensuring equal treatment for Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, as Andrea Stella confirms no driver will be prioritized.

A dejected Oscar Piastri after the 2025 Qatar GP (X)

It’s starting to feel like deja vu for Oscar Piastri, and not the good kind.

As Formula 1 barrels toward 2026, McLaren have made one thing crystal clear: nothing is changing when it comes to their much-debated “Papaya Rules".

For Piastri fans hoping McLaren might finally lean harder into a clear No.1 strategy, this probably lands with a thud.

McLaren team principal Andrea Stella confirmed that the Woking outfit will once again “race the McLaren way" — a diplomatic phrase that translates to equal treatment, shared opportunity, and no preferential calls, even when championships are on the line (or so, they say).

Speaking ahead of the MCL40’s first on-track outing at the Barcelona shakedown, Stella doubled down on the approach that split opinion across the paddock last season.

“We talked last year quite a bit about internal racing at McLaren, so let me say that from that point of view, we will enter 2026 with continuity.

“We will keep racing the McLaren way. If we have been able to achieve success in 2024 and then in 2025, what has added extra value to what we have achieved is the way in which we have achieved in such a collaborative, supportive way – [a] cohesive way – together with our drivers."

Stella even revealed that both drivers are firmly on board, at least publicly.

“I actually [came here] straight from a meeting with Oscar, and before I was having lunch with Lando. The 2026 season is already fully on… I was particularly pleased to see how energetic, proactive, full of ideas, but also full of support to the way we have gone racing the McLaren way in the past."

So, what exactly are the Papaya Rules?

In short: fairness above all else. No team orders unless absolutely unavoidable. No driver prioritised, even if one has momentum. It’s an approach McLaren insist reflects their core values — even if it occasionally costs them strategically.

To Stella’s credit, he admitted tweaks are coming and just not a philosophical overhaul.

“We go through a thorough process of review… to see where are the opportunities to improve… this was the same for what we call the racing principles."

Still, the pillars remain untouched.

“The concepts of fairness, integrity, equal opportunities, sportsmanship… they are reaffirmed, they are confirmed and consolidated."

For McLaren, it’s harmony over hierarchy. For Oscar Piastri? It may be another season of the same rules and same ceiling — unless he forces the issue the hard way.

News sports formula-one Look Away, Oscar Piastri: McLaren Double Down On Infamous 'Papaya Rules' For 2026 F1 Season

Read More