Source:REUTERS/Henry Romero
[Saba Sports News] Recently, former Haas F1 Team Principal Guenther Steiner suggested that McLaren’s “Papaya Rule” (the internal resource allocation and strategy favoring balance between both drivers rather than fully backing one driver for the championship) is self-sabotage, ultimately aiding Max Verstappen’s championship campaign. The former principal stated that McLaren is Verstappen’s “best ally” in his title fight, adding that the “Papaya Rule was made for Max.” After the Dutch Grand Prix in August, Verstappen trailed Oscar Piastri by as many as 104 points. Since then, the Dutch driver has claimed three Grand Prix victories, while McLaren’s Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri have often hindered each other during races, costing them points. Their collision and double DNF in the United States Grand Prix Sprint Race marked a typical low point in this situation. “I think in Max’s mind, he knows what he has to do. He has to be consistent. At the end in Mexico, he didn’t do anything stupid. I mean, the Max of three years ago would have probably tried to pass Charles Leclerc, even with the risk of a collision and maybe being taken out. Now he knows he has to score points consistently. That’s the only way he can win the championship. He’s being very smart about it.”