Zak Brown proved right after “a year ago we questioned” his McLaren idea

Zak Brown’s demands for how his drivers race each other have been proved indisputably correct, it has been claimed.

McLaren’s so-called Papaya Rules came to the fore last season when Lando Norris was threatening to challenge Max Verstappen for the F1 title.

McLaren was criticised in some quarters for not naming a No1 driver, and backing him to overhaul Verstappen. Norris left points on the table when racing teammate Oscar Piastri.

But this season, either Piastri or Norris are set to win the F1 drivers’ title. McLaren CEO Brown’s philosophy to let his drivers fairly battle without naming the team’s priority has paid off.

“A year ago we questioned the Papaya rules because of how the race played out between Oscar and Lando,” Fox Sports Mexico journalist Diego Mejia told the F1 Nation podcast.

“[In Hungary in 2024] they had to somehow undercut Oscar with Lando because Lewis Hamilton pitted before. They asked them to swap positions. Lando didn’t want to but he did it.

“A year on, I like what they’ve done. I had my doubts that each side of the garage would have their own strategy, and would battle with strategy.”

Piastri is nine points ahead in the championship from Norris, who won the F1 Hungarian Grand Prix.

'Intensity' ramps up at McLaren

Tom Kristensen added to the podcast: “What fascinates me is the dialogue with engineers, there is more intensity from Oscar and Lando.

“They are free to race. Also, the engineers are free.

“You don’t know what you’ll have in 2026 so, to have a championship, it will be an interesting battle.”

Kristensen continued: “There is no doubt that there are good people within McLaren who have empathy, making sure everything is on the table.

“When they race, they are doing whatever they can to win.

“We have seen in Canada, nearly in Austria, and [Hungary] that they go all-in on direct fights, trusting their instincts.

“But fireworks are coming.

“I respect how management are dealing with the drivers.

“Lando is a bit older and more experienced but they are quite near. They know it’s their golden opportunity and that one of them will be world champion.

“McLaren might not have the best car in 2026.

“It will be nail-biting and there will be fireworks. But the question about how they are behaving? I take my hat off.

“It’s not about friendship, it’s about respecting each other. They race hard. But as long as they can look each other in the eyes and discuss it afterwards…”

Brown has explained how he intends to sit down with both Piastri and Norris before the title is decided to discuss the inevitability that one of them will suffer a heartbreaking loss.

But Brown will lead McLaren to a drivers’ championship, in all likelihood, which will end the four-year dominant run of Red Bull’s Verstappen.

McLaren became the fastest car in F1 during last season and did enough to win the constructors’, ripping it away from Red Bull. They are nailed on to retain it this year too.