The 2026 Singapore Grand Prix: Perhaps Papaya Rules Had a Point

If there’s one thing readers of my work should know by now, it’s that I have never been particularly fond of McLaren’s infamous Papaya Rules. I’ve made fun of them, criticized how they're enforced, and even compared other teams’ strategy interventions to McLaren’s precise, heavily managed teammate competition. I believe Formula One thrives when drivers are allowed to race, not when pit-wall engineers micromanage ambition and hunger. 

Yet after watching the 2026 Singapore Grand Prix weekend, I have to admit McLaren may have a point. Allow me to explain. 

For those not in the know, Papaya Rules are McLaren’s guidelines that govern how teammates Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri compete against one another. CEO Zak Brown once summarized it as simply: “race him hard, race him clean, don’t touch.” Simply put, the rules permit the drivers to fight each other on the track without jeopardizing the team’s interests. 

That’s a reasonable ask of any team, but McLaren’s application has occasionally been frustrating to watch. From controversial swap positions to interrupted battles, the philosophy has sometimes felt more like corporate risk management rather than sporting fairness. 

Let’s be clear: I have never objected to a team protecting its cars. I have objected to the idea that overprotecting should come at the expense of genuine racing. 

Which brings us to the Marina Bay Circuit. 

For all the excitement around Max Verstappen’s commanding Sunday win, Saturday's Sprint stayed with me. Specifically, the final lap when Norris attempted an ambitious overtake on Piastri while chasing Charles Leclerc’s Ferrari. The gap narrowed, the cars made contact, and both drivers went spinning. Piastri’s afternoon ended against the barriers, while Norris finished eighth. 

So much for bringing both cars home. 

The FIA stewards deemed the collision a racing incident, meaning neither driver was predominantly responsible. Norris initially defended his attempted overtake before apologizing, while Piastri acknowledged that he hadn’t expected his teammate to attack from behind. Team Principal Andrea Stella was understandably unamused, calling the collision unacceptable and stressing that McLaren’s team interests must come first. 

And honestly? I don’t disagree with Stella’s take on what happened. As I watched the incident, and then reviewed it a few more times, something rather obvious occurred to me: this was exactly the kind of situation that Papaya Rules were designed to prevent. The collision didn’t just compromise individual results, it erased Constructors’ Championship points, created unnecessary repair work, and handed an upper hand to rival teams. 

And this, in my opinion, is exactly when Papaya Rules should matter. 

There’s a fundamental difference between two teammates fighting for position and two teammates escalating that fight to compromise team standings. The former is what makes Formula One truly thrilling to watch weekend after weekend. The latter is the stuff of team principal nightmares. 

Don’t get me wrong: the Singapore Sprint doesn’t suddenly justify the every other time McLaren unfairly intervened in their drivers’ races. Nor does it mean that Norris and Piastri should abandon their innate determination to win whenever they’re within a second of each other. Risk is an inherent element of racing, and occasional contact is inevitable. 

There is, however, a reason that teams do establish boundaries. What happened in Singapore demonstrated the very outcome McLaren has been trying to avoid. The trouble begins when preventing teammate-on-teammate incidents becomes synonymous with preventing competition itself. 

I still believe that Formula One benefits from open audacity, more stubborn defenses, and more drivers willing to fight for positions purely for the love of the race. I still believe that some of the sport’s most memorable moments emerge when competitors refuse to settle.

Papaya Rules should exist to protect the racing, not suppress it. So there ought to be credit where credit is due. McLaren had a point. I don’t doubt I’ll find another occasion to raise my eyebrow at an invocation of the Papaya Rules, but for now, Singapore has convinced me there are moments when such enforcement is completely justified. Just don't expect me to start cheering for team orders the next time Norris and Piastri start racing each other on track.