Gunther Steiner jokes about McLaren team orders for Norris.

2 days ago7 min read

In the high-stakes world of Formula 1, where team strategy can be as decisive as raw engine power, the ever-quotable former Haas team principal Guenther Steiner has once again thrown a verbal hand grenade into the paddock, this time aiming his characteristically sharp wit at McLaren's delicate driver dynamic. With Lando Norris having now edged ahead of his teammate Oscar Piastri in the drivers' championship following the Mexican Grand Prix, the perennial question of team orders has surfaced with renewed intensity, and Steiner, never one to shy away from a provocative analogy, responded with what can only be described as masterful, sarcastic deflection.'I need to get out of here. No, no, no.I think they should stick with the 'papaya rules', they are very good. And Max [Verstappen] will never catch us anyway, because the championship doesn't mean anything to anyone at McLaren.Everything is fine – as long as the 'papaya rules' are in place, everything is fine,' Steiner quipped, his irony so thick you could almost hear the collective chuckle and subsequent grimace from Woking to Melbourne. This isn't Steiner's first rodeo with this topic; he has been a vocal, almost persistent, advocate for McLaren to throw its weight behind the prodigiously talented Piastri, especially during phases where the young Australian has shown blistering pace and led the internal team battle, making his latest comments a layered commentary on a saga he has been narrating for some time.The 'papaya rules' he mockingly references are a clear dig at McLaren's public-facing commitment to driver equality, a policy that sounds noble in press releases but often crumbles under the immense pressure of a tight constructor's or driver's championship, much like Ferrari's historical internal strife or Mercedes' managed harmony between Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg that eventually reached a boiling point. For context, the battle between Norris, the established, mercurial British talent with a penchant for stunning qualifying laps, and Piastri, the ice-cool rookie who has displayed a maturity beyond his years, is one of the most fascinating intra-team rivalries on the grid, a duel reminiscent of the early Prost-Senna tensions or the more recent Leclerc-Sainz jostling at Ferrari.Steiner's jab cuts to the heart of a classic Formula 1 dilemma: at what point does a team prioritize its collective points haul and potential position in the constructor's championship over the individual glory of its drivers? By sarcastically stating that 'the championship doesn't mean anything,' he highlights the absurdity of not having a clear, decisive strategy when millions of dollars and sporting legacy are on the line. His previous, more direct statements, such as questioning 'If McLaren loses the personal tally because of the 'papaya rules', how stupid will they look?' reveal the serious concern underpinning his humor—a concern shared by many analysts who watch McLaren potentially leave crucial points on the table through indecision.Looking forward, the consequences are significant; if McLaren continues with its strict equality and Norris, now ahead, is compromised by a strategy designed to aid Piastri, or vice-versa, it could not only cost them a coveted position in the constructor's standings against rivals like Ferrari or Aston Martin but also sow seeds of discord in a driver lineup that has so far been remarkably harmonious. Steiner, in his unique style, has framed this technical and strategic decision in the most human terms possible, using humor as a vehicle for a very serious critique, forcing the team's principals to either publicly reaffirm their commitment to a policy that may be costing them or to quietly prepare for the inevitable moment when team orders become a necessity, not a choice. It’s a chess match played out in the media, and Steiner, now unshackled from the day-to-day team management, has positioned himself as the grandmaster of pointed commentary, turning a technical discussion into a compelling narrative of pride, strategy, and the relentless pursuit of victory.

#Formula 1

#McLaren

#Lando Norris

#Oscar Piastri

#team orders

#Gunther Steiner

#editorial picks news

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