F1 News
Norris on McLaren team orders for 2025: "There are clearly rules"
Lando Norris has said that there have "been discussions" and that "there are clearly rules" when it comes to team orders at McLaren for 2025. Both he and teammate Oscar Piastri locked out the front row in qualifying at the Australian Grand Prix, and that will result in some close fighting from the pair of them when the lights go out on Sunday.
2024 saw 'papaya rules' come into force when both Norris and Piastri were battling each other, which became a vague and problematic issue for the British team, with Piastri taking points from Norris while in a huge title battle with Max Verstappen last season. There was also confusion at the 2024 Hungarian Grand Prix due to the 'papaya rules', with Norris asked to let Piastri through after a pit stop mistake saw them swap places, which the Brit only did after multiple radio messages.
McLaren sets clear limits for Piastri and Norris
Will the 'papaya rules' still be in place for the 2025 season? One thing that is known is that Norris, Piastri and McLaren have all had conversations surrounding the in-team battling on track: "have a lot more of this kind of thing over the course of the season. So there are clearly rules, I answered this the other day, but there's there are clearly rules we cannot cross. Both cars will always have to stay in the race and that kind of thing," Norris answered.
The Brit stressed that he is not only Piastri's teammate, but also definitely his rival, and that means they will definitely fight each other too: "We are both competitors. That's clear. We both want to fight for a win and fight for victories, that’s clear. But there's just boundaries around the car." For example, the two drivers have to make sure there is enough space left for the other.
"What won us the constructors last year, was how we helped one another out and how we kept things clean and how there was order when there was needed to be." Norris did add that McLaren only became competitive in 2024 at a very different point in the championship, and that it was different because of that. "It's good. We're both excited and always have a conversation in the morning, we'll see," the Brit concluded.
This article was created in collaboration with Kim Hoefnagel
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