Steiner encourages McLaren F1 to challenge the ‘Papaya Rules’ and aim for dual championship victories this season.
At Monza, McLaren F1 unveiled the so-called Papaya Rules, which apparently allow drivers to compete as long as they don’t collide. In a scenario where both titles are still up for grabs, Günther Steiner doesn’t understand why the team isn’t putting all its bets on Lando Norris and is letting Oscar Piastri fight.
“No, not everyone is against it. I wouldn’t say that. I go back to my principle: how many times in your life have you had the chance to win a world championship? Not many,” reminds the former Haas F1 director.
“Now, they have this chance and they can’t decide who is number one, who is number two, who overtakes whom. No, I stick to that. We have to tell Zak ‘screw the Papaya Rules,’ and go for the championship.”
Steiner doesn’t understand the exact terms of the Papaya Rules: “I asked Zak Brown what the Papaya Rules were. He told me ‘it’s the rule that governs our way of doing things.’ I didn’t know any more after asking him, so I still don’t know what these damn Papaya Rules are!”
“We will have to wait until the end of the championship to see if they win it or not. If they don’t win, I think they will have to change the rules. But let’s get back to serious matters. So, yes, I would give orders to the team. How many times in a lifetime can you win two championships in one season?”
“I never had that chance, maybe I wasn’t good enough. Zak might say he is good enough. So, the moment you have the chance to win two championships, the constructors and the drivers, I think you just have to say what you want, even if one guy is not happy.”
“I don’t know if he has to pay him money, if he has to make promises for next year. You know, it’s like saying ‘we have the chance to win the lottery, let’s not play it’ because you have a good chance, but someone told you otherwise.”
Webber’s Pressure Should Not Hamper McLaren
Some believe that Mark Webber, Piastri’s manager, is behind the insistence on no team orders. But Steiner thinks the Australian needs to be reined in: “Change the clause. I think they need to have a conversation with Mark.”
“Mark is an adult. Obviously, nothing in life is free. We all know this, but how many chances do you get to win a world championship in your lifetime? This may be the only one. Maybe other opportunities will come in the future, but who knows?”
“I don’t know. But if there is one more, Oscar should seize it. They might be equal drivers. If it’s written that they are equal drivers, they are equal drivers, and certainly, Mark is pointing out this possibility.”
“But then you need to talk to Mark and tell him ‘we have a chance, we don’t want to waste it. Next year, if we have another chance, we’ll convert it.’ That’s also what you need to say to Lando. You try to find a compromise.”
“Because, of course, if it’s a clause, you can’t go against the clause, otherwise you face a lawsuit or something, but it’s a good situation to be in. Mark was an F1 driver, he knows these opportunities are rare, and he will understand if you talk to him about it.”
“But obviously, if you give him nothing in return, if there’s a clause, he won’t be happy. You explain that you are working for the team and you try to strike a deal so that next year, if papaya is again the championship-winning color, it will be Oscar Piastri’s turn.”
“We start from scratch and if Oscar is in a better position after five races, he will have a chance to win the championship. It’s not just about money. It’s the money you earn now and the money you can earn in the future if you become world champion, that’s something different.”
“But perhaps Mark and Oscar have better ideas than us and that’s what they want to help with, but I think it’s quite clear that Oscar can’t win the drivers’ championship this year.”
“If they lose, they will look foolish.”
The Italian advises Piastri and his team to consider the potential damage to their image if McLaren were to lose the drivers’ championship due to the young Australian’s actions.
“If you are seen to hinder the team’s operation, and McLaren wins one championship instead of two, how does that look? Is it an advantage? No, you also look foolish. So, you need to calculate, and Mark knows that. Mark has been through this, he’s done it, I have great respect for what he does for Oscar.”
“I think he advises him very well. That’s why Oscar has advanced so quickly, because he is well-supported. I think with Mark, he can always talk. He certainly wants something if there’s an equality clause in their contract. We don’t know yet.”
According to Steiner, it ultimately concerns the image of McLaren, but also that of its leaders, Zak Brown and Andrea Stella: “They think they can win anyway. It’s simple. Sometimes the solution is simple.”
“They think we can win anyway, so let them fight it out. And if they win by letting both compete, they look good. But if they lose by letting both compete, they look foolish.”
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Steiner Challenges McLaren F1: ‘Defy Papaya Rules for Dual Titles’ Steiner Challenges McLaren F1: ‘Defy Papaya Rules for Dual Titles’
