McLaren to refine team order rules after Piastri's 'headaches'

McLaren driver Oscar Piastri has confirmed the team will tweak its 'papaya rules' governing in-race decisions after several contentious situations in 2025 caused unnecessary 'headaches'. The Australian acknowledged that while the principle of equal treatment remains, specific scenarios need clearer protocols to avoid internal friction and maintain a strong team dynamic.

Why it matters:

Team orders and internal equity are perennial flashpoints in Formula 1, directly impacting driver morale and on-track results. For a top team like McLaren, clear and fair rules are essential to maximize constructors' points while managing the ambitions of two elite drivers. Public disputes, like those seen last year, can damage team cohesion and become a distraction from the core mission of winning championships.

The Details:

• Piastri pointed to specific 2025 incidents that highlighted flaws in the existing rules, most notably at the Italian Grand Prix where he was instructed to cede a position back to teammate Lando Norris after Norris had a slow pit stop.
• Another flashpoint occurred on the opening lap in Singapore, where contact from Norris forced Piastri wide. The Australian's request for the position to be returned was not acted upon by the team.
• Team Principal Andrea Stella has previously described the need for a "streamlining" of the rules. Piastri echoed this, stating the refined rules "will look different" for the 2026 season to eliminate ambiguous scenarios.
• Despite the friction, Piastri emphasized the underlying principle is sound: "As a general way of going racing, it does bring a lot of positives with it. It's just how do we refine that to try and keep it to just positives."

The Big Picture:

The need for refinement underscores the complexity of managing two competitive drivers in a top team. Piastri finished the 2025 season just 13 points behind Norris, demonstrating how closely matched the pair are. Any perceived imbalance in team decisions can therefore have a significant impact on the drivers' championship standings. Piastri was keen to clarify that he never questioned the team's intentions, attributing the issues to the difficulty of real-time decision-making in a sport where "you're never going to get every decision right."

What's next:

McLaren will enter the 2026 season with a revised set of internal protocols aimed at pre-empting the ambiguous scenarios that caused tension last year. The success of these 'tweaks' will be tested at the first sign of on-track conflict between Norris and Piastri. A clearer framework should allow the team to make quicker, more consistent calls, letting both drivers focus purely on performance and helping McLaren mount a stronger dual championship challenge.