If you thought you would never have to hear the term papaya rules again now that McLaren is no longer F1's dominant team, a new flashpoint over the Singapore Grand Prix weekend provided an unwanted flashback to 2025.
Exactly one year ago, Lando Norris barged Oscar Piastri out of the way at the start, landing Lando Norris in hot water with the team. Saturday's clumsy collision at the end of the 20-lap sprint felt like a throwback, even if Mercedes had since usurped McLaren as the dominant force.
Norris and Piastri
Because it was a relatively meaningless battle for a lower position, Lando Norris's ill-fated lunge caused team principal Andrea Stella a lot of grief. It cost constructors' points against [Red Bull] and created a massive workload for the mechanics to repair the damage.
Straight after the incident, Andrea Stella declared the contact unacceptable. Following private talks, his tone became more philosophical, but his underlying message remained firm.
"Honestly, I still believe that if we want to be in a position to fight for victories consistently in the future, we need to keep our focus on delivering more upgrades," Andrea Stella acknowledged.
Lando Norris sits 6th in the championship with 189 points, while Oscar Piastri is 7th with 128 points.
Source: Autosport
