"Last year McLaren enjoyed the most competitive car for most of the season and from the off, the team insisted their drivers would be free to race one another and the team would apply what they referred to as their papaya rules to ensure they were scrupulously fair to both in racing situations. It was an admirable approach but one that attracted criticism, not least as the team found themselves with increasingly complex precedents set when they did, at times, intervene."
"Building up to the start of the new season with a technical preview of their new car, the MCL40, at the McLaren technology centre in Woking the team principal, Andrea Stella, confirmed they would be allowing their drivers the same freedom to go up against one another this year and maintaining their racing rules to ensure parity between them."
McLaren will continue to apply strict fairness and allow free racing between Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri for the 2026 Formula One season. McLaren produced the most competitive car for most of the previous season and permitted both drivers to race under papaya rules designed to maintain parity and sportsmanship. That policy sometimes required team intervention and attracted criticism for creating complex precedents, and intra-team points transfers allowed Max Verstappen to re-enter the title fight and finish only two points behind. Andrea Stella affirmed the team will maintain equal opportunities, integrity, and consolidated racing rules ahead of the MCL40 preview.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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