Oscar Piastri expressed his confidence in the McLaren Formula 1 team’s strategy ahead of the Austrian Grand Prix, confirming that both he and his teammate Lando Norris continue to have the liberty to compete for the championship title. This announcement follows a recent incident at the Canadian Grand Prix that saw Norris apologizing for a collision with Piastri’s car, an event which cost Norris the race while Piastri managed to secure a fourth-place finish, thereby widening his points lead over Norris to 22.
Addressing the media on Thursday, Piastri downplayed any speculation regarding possible changes to McLaren’s intra-team racing guidelines, known colloquially as the “papaya rules,” which dictate on-track conduct between teammates. He refuted ideas that McLaren might be leaning towards prioritizing him over Norris. “The rules are unchanged,” Piastri stated. “Our Canadian Grand Prix incident wasn’t perfect, but both Lando and I still have the green light to race and vie for the championship individually. The focus will be on maintaining the competition without further contact.”
Piastri also emphasized a fundamental principle that remains paramount: teammates must avoid crashing into one another. Historically, McLaren has not claimed an F1 title since Lewis Hamilton’s youthful triumph in 2008. Currently, Red Bull’s Max Verstappen, the reigning champion, stands as the closest rival outside of the McLaren camp, trailing Piastri by 43 points.
When questioned about a potential future scenario where he could petition McLaren to favor him over Norris, Piastri was non-committal and avoided direct engagement on the topic. He commented, “Only one of us can ultimately claim the title, but we’re nowhere near needing to have those conversations just yet. For now, my sole request is for an equitable shot at the championship, and that’s what drives me. Discussing preferential treatment is premature at this stage.”