Oscar Piastri Confirms McLaren Papaya Rules Changes for 2026

Formula 1, Sportrik Media - Oscar Piastri has confirmed that McLaren will revise its internal team orders framework known as papaya rules ahead of the 2026 Formula 1 season, following internal complications that created tension during last year’s title campaign.

McLaren introduced papaya rules as a mechanism to manage the championship fight between Lando Norris and Piastri. However, the approach became controversial as the season progressed, particularly at the Italian Grand Prix when Piastri was instructed to move aside after Norris lost time during a slow pit stop, a decision that intensified internal pressure.

The situation escalated further following contact between the two drivers at the Singapore Grand Prix, an incident triggered by Norris. McLaren responded by modifying the papaya rules again in Norris’s favour, before abandoning the system entirely after Piastri made contact with his team mate during the United States Grand Prix in Austin.

Speaking during a media event attended by Crash.net, Piastri explained that while the papaya rules concept carries clear benefits, changes are necessary to avoid unintended consequences.

“It will look different,” Piastri said.
“Streamlining it is a wise decision to make.”

“We probably caused some headaches for ourselves that we did not need to at certain points last year.”

Piastri stressed that McLaren’s underlying philosophy of allowing its drivers to race remains intact, but acknowledged that the execution must be refined to preserve only the positive elements.

“As a general principle and a general way of going racing, it does bring a lot of positives,” he explained.
“The question is how we refine it to keep only the positives.”

He also addressed public perception, suggesting that external commentary often failed to reflect the reality inside the team.

“There was always a lot more made about it than actually happened,” Piastri added.
“Many people form opinions without knowing the complete inner workings, and things can appear very different from how they actually are.”

Looking ahead to 2026, Piastri confirmed that further adjustments will be implemented, while maintaining McLaren’s team oriented racing approach.

“There will be some tweaks for sure,” he said.
“But it is clear that we still want to go racing as much as we can as a team.”

When asked whether he felt he had been given an equal opportunity to fight for the title against Norris, Piastri said he believed the process was fair, even if improvements could have been made.

“Yes, I think I got a fair shot last year and I expect that to stay exactly the same,” he stated.
“That does not mean certain things could not have been handled better.”

“That was probably clear to everyone watching, but at no point were there bad intentions or moments where I questioned the team’s motives.”

With McLaren now committed to revising its internal procedures, the team aims to enter the 2026 season with a clearer and more robust framework to manage driver competition while avoiding the controversies that overshadowed its previous title challenge.