McLaren explain Lando Norris v Oscar Piastri team orders in Singapore

McLaren will update their team orders at every race, Zak Brown insists, and team principal Andrea Stella will make the crucial call.

‘Papaya rules’ have come under the microscope as McLaren overtook Red Bull in the constructors’ championship, and Lando Norris closes in on Max Verstappen at the top of the drivers’.

McLaren do not recognise either Norris nor teammate Oscar Piastri as their No1 driver - however have hinted at a change of policy, with the big prizes up for grabs.

CEO Brown has now insisted the specific orders will be amended at every grand prix.

“I was watching something that Ron Dennis was talking about,” he said to Sky Sports. “It was the team’s job to win the constructors’ championship, and the driver’s job to win the drivers’ championship. That’s what we’re doing.

“Anything we can now do to help Lando, we’ll do that, whether it’s strategically…

“We don’t want to compromise Oscar’s results because he’s having an awesome season, and a battle of his own.

“If there are things we can do to support Lando, that’s what we’ll do.

“We’re taking it on a race-by-race basis.

“We’ve got two great drivers capable of winning races. It’s a fine line.

“Papaya rules are: know who your teammate is, help your teammate, race your teammate hard but cleanly.”

Must Piastri let Norris through?

Brown was asked if McLaren were leading the Singapore Grand Prix 1-2, with Piastri in front, whether he’d be asked to concede victory to Norris.

Brown answered: “That will be Andrea’s call.

“Handing off a race win is a pretty difficult thing to do. It’s a big ask of a grand prix driver.

“Lando wants to win the championship, if he can, the right way.

“If Oscar goes out and earns it, I’m not sure Lando wants to inherit a victory that way, anyway.”

Norris is 59 points adrift of Verstappen but is currently in the faster car.

Piastri, fourth in the standings, is 91 points away from leader Verstappen.

Brown insists Piastri remains a title contender: “Mathematically, definitely.

“The gap between Lando and Max will require awesome weekends, and back luck.

“One of the challenges is that we’re not looking at a driver who is too far back from Lando.

“That’s why we’ll take it one race at a time. What are the circumstances?

“If Max has had a DNF so it’s a big points haul, that’s one scenario. Time starts ticking, that’s another scenario.”