Brown explains why McLaren F1 team orders would not be a papaya rules U-turn

Zak Brown has denied McLaren’s potential team orders at Formula 1’s Abu Dhabi Grand Prix would be a U-turn on the squad’s ‘papaya rules’.

McLaren has made a point of treating its drivers as fairly as possible, to the extent that it even swapped them around in the Italian Grand Prix after a botched pitstop for Lando Norris gave the edge to his team-mate Oscar Piastri.

McLaren is insisting both drivers will be given every chance to win the title at Yas Marina, but Piastri is set to be asked to let Norris through if that makes the difference between McLaren winning or losing the title against Red Bull challenger Max Verstappen.

“In the sense of team orders, as long as both drivers have a chance to win the world championship – which they clearly do sitting here right now – then it’s business as usual, they’re free to race,” Brown commented in Friday’s FIA press conference.

“Obviously we’ll be practical and realistic. If, as the weekend develops, as the race develops, it becomes clear that one has a significantly better chance than another, then we’re a team that wants to win the drivers’ championship, and we will race accordingly to do whatever we can to get whatever that driver is in front to try and win the race.

“Our team orders have been around giving equal opportunity to win the championship, but as the race plays out, if it becomes clear that both can’t, then we’re going to do what’s in the best interest of the team and try and win the drivers’ championship.”

Asked what he would say to people accusing McLaren of doing a U-turn on the way it has gone racing so far, Brown replied: “I don’t think it’s a U-turn. We’re going to start the weekend like we have the other 23, which is going in giving both drivers equal opportunity.

“I think last year, once it became clear that Lando had the best chance to catch Max and Oscar was almost statistically out of it in Baku, we then asked Oscar to support Lando and [it] ended up being Lando supported Oscar in that particular race and Oscar won the race.

“So we’re going to use common sense. We’re not going to throw away a drivers’ championship over a sixth and a seventh place, a third and a fourth place, a fifth and a sixth place.

“If one of our drivers doesn’t have the opportunity, I think everything we do, we do with the drivers. So they know what the game plan is for this weekend, and outside of our racing team you’re a bit damned if you do, damned if you don’t.

“So we’re going to just stay true to our racing principles. We want to win the constructors’, which we’ve done. We want to win the drivers’, and so we’ll see how the race plays out.”

Then the main question is: if that specific situation occurs, will Piastri comply with a team order?

The Australian was elusive when this was brought up to him on Thursday, stating he needed to ‘know what would be expected of him’ before he could provide an answer.

Brown, however, is confident: “Yes, our drivers have always complied with team wishes just as we comply with their wishes. I’ve got no doubt either of our drivers will continue to race as they’ve done brilliantly in the best interest of the team.”

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– The Autosport.com Team