Lando Norris and Max Verstappen - Photo: Race Pictures

Norris reflects on Verstappen's statement: 'Our approach is better'

17:13, 17 Oct

Updated: 17:54, 17 Oct

byOlly Darcy

Lando Norris believes that McLaren's "approach" in dealing with himself and teammate Oscar Piastri fighting for the world championship is "better than what other people's are".

"Always from my side or Oscar's side, we're always going to question it, even if it is one-sided or not"

- Lando Norris

It comes after Max Verstappen was asked about whether there was any favouring from the papaya-coloured team towards the Brit over the Australian after the Singapore Grand Prix, with the two McLaren drivers coming together at turn one.

Questions have been raised about the 'papaya rules', which have become a major talking point for McLaren and their team orders, but Norris was quick to dismiss any concerns.

"I think that's just your opinion on the outside. I think if I were on the outside, I would probably have a similar opinion and outlook on those kinds of things," the 25-year-old stated to GPblog and others in Austin when asked about how McLaren are managing the drivers' title fight.

norris-piastri-collision-mclaren-singapore-gp-f1

Lando Norris collided with Oscar Piastri at the start of the Singapore GP. Photo: RacePictures.

"But, internally, it's pretty simple. You think there are a large number of rules and all these things. There's not. There's very little, and it's very simple.

"People like to talk about it a lot and bring it up a lot, and say it's this and that. It's quite a simple number of things, and it's stuff that I think we always understand. But, Andreas says it all the time, we still always have the right to question it.

"We're never going to just go around, because I think it's just a racing driver's mind, but just to be happy to accept whatever the team wants to do or what they think is correct. Always from my side or Oscar's side, we're always going to question it, even if it is one-sided or not."

No 'papaya rules' problems internally

The talk surrounding 'papaya rules' throughout the 2025 season has grown as the title battle builds up, with two issues in the last three Grands Prix occurring at the Italian Grand Prix and in Singapore.

However, despite those instances that saw Piastri fall foul twice, the championship leader was quick to refute any talk of bias, with Norris going on to back up the current structure used by McLaren.

The Brit concluded:"I understand a lot of people have different opinions and think maybe other things are correct. But I stand by the fact that, and I'm confident, Andrea and Oscar and all of us together are confident that our approach is better than what other people's are."

Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri celebrating McLaren's constructors' title in Singapore - Photo: Race Pictures

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