McLaren boss Andrea Stella said the team will try to introduce a “simpler” competition between their drivers Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri during the 2026 Formula 1 season.
Norris won McLaren’s first drivers’ title since 2008 last year after a season-long battle with team-mate Piastre, but both narrowly missed out as Red Bull’s Max Verstappen clawed his way back into contention in the closing laps to finish two points behind the Briton in second.
McLaren decided to allow both drivers to fight for the title until the final race as they sought to maintain equality within the team, but the approach – which became known under the banner of the “papaya rule” – created much controversy.
Many questioned this strategy due to the fact that it kept Verstappen’s title hopes alive, while there were Piastri fans who felt that Norris had taken the better of the team’s decisions, despite both drivers supporting the team’s calls throughout.
Stella said: “I can certainly say that, as with anything else we approach at McLaren, we go through a thorough review process so we can see where there are opportunities to improve. And it was the same for what we call the racing principles and the way we go about racing and the internal competition.
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Bernie Collins believes McLaren will maintain its approach to drivers next year and predicts Piastre will be looking to prove he is not the second driver in the first few races of 2026.
“We got a lot of feedback already during the season last year. We had conversations after the season. And we’re talking pretty much as we’re talking now. And all of that has led us to basically reaffirm that the concepts of fairness, integrity, equal opportunity, sportsmanship, they’re all fundamental to the team, to Lando and to Oscar. They’ve been reaffirmed and reaffirmed if anything.
“At the same time, we all recognize that the amount of work required for example for the team, and to some extent even for the drivers in relation to the internal competition, has been significant. So any attempt we can make to make this racing together simpler, to some extent, will be welcome.
“It’s really going to be a matter of fine-tuning, because once we review what we’ve done, in most cases what we’ve said is exactly what we would continue to do. But we’ve found several opportunities where we can streamline the way we work together, reaffirming the core principles we’ve adopted in the past.”
Norris and Piastre will be stronger in 2026.
Stella has backed both of his drivers to go from strength to strength in 2026 despite their contrasts to last season.
Norris started 2025 as the title favourite, but Piastre was on course to upset his more experienced team-mate when he opened up a 34-point lead at the top of the standings with nine of the 24 rounds remaining.
However, Piastre’s form dipped and Norris put in some of the best performances of his career to take control and overcome the self-doubt he has battled in his rise to the top of the sport.
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Speaking to Sky Sports’ Craig Slater while attending the Autosport Awards at London’s Roundhouse, Norris says he is confident and ready to defend his World Drivers’ Championship
Stella said Ski Sports News: “I think Lando will definitely be stronger in 2026, and not necessarily because he was champion in 2025, but because of this logical growth that the team is adopting, but our drivers are also adopting.
“I expect Oscar to be faster, stronger and even more complete year after year, regardless of 2025.”
“Just about every race is an opportunity to learn, every race is an opportunity to get better and better. I can see really great work already happening with our drivers, great conversations, a lot of energy, a lot of hours and days in the simulator to learn about the chassis and the 2026 power unit.
“The drivers are definitely preparing in the best possible way and are looking forward to finally putting the car on the ground and starting the 2026 season as we all are.
“The development of McLaren cars will be in the plan”
McLaren go into the 2026 season seeking a third consecutive Constructors’ Championship, but have had any competitive edge they may have had taken away by a complete rule reset.
Stella describes the introduction of new powertrains and chassis regulations as the “biggest” change he has seen in his 25-plus years in the sport and admits the pecking order could be “mixed up”.
However, the Italian says McLaren’s development of their new car is going according to plan and he is confident in the team’s “ambitious” approach.
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“All of this (regulations) makes it extremely interesting to see how the cars are going to perform, how the order of competition is going to be kind of mixed up,” Stella said.
“We are champions, but we are not going to be champions in 2026. Everyone will start from the starting blocks. Everyone will start from scratch.
“Our internal narrative is that whatever we achieve we will have to earn and we will have to earn it on the field. That’s our mind, that’s our philosophy. That’s why we’ve been ambitious with the 2026 car.
“At the same time, because it’s such a level of redesign, you have to be careful to make sure you actually have the car, figure it out in time, build it in time. And so far, I have to say that our program is on track, which we’re obviously happy with.”
When is F1 pre-season testing?
The introduction of the new regulations means there is a tight schedule of three separate tests before the start of the 2026 season.
The first is a behind-closed-doors event in Barcelona from 26-30 January, before two tests in Bahrain from 11-13 and 18-20 February.
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Tune into the highlights of F1 testing at Barcelona Shakedown, every evening from Monday 26 to Friday 30 January, live on Sky Sports F1 YouTube at 7pm and on the Sky Sports F1 channel from 9pm
When is the first F1 race?
The teams then have two weeks to prepare for the first round of the season, which is the Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne on March 6-8.
The first practice session of the season will take place on Friday 6 March, with qualifying on Saturday 7 March and the opening race on Sunday 8 March.
Watch all 24 race weekends of the 2026 Formula 1 season live on Sky Sports F1. Stream Ski Sports from NOW – No contract, cancel anytime