Max Verstappen believes McLaren's controversial papaya rules is "not my problem" as he addressed his "remarkable" title challenge.
At various points in 2025, McLaren have adopted team orders to either call off a fight between Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, or in the case of the Italian GP, order Piastri to allow Norris back through for second place after a slow pit-stop for the Briton.
According to Racing News365, Piastri followed that order, and recently admitted it had a mental effect on him at the Azerbaijan GP where he crashed in qualifying, jumped the start and then crashed on the opening lap.
He told media, “That's not really my problem, is it? As a team, they decide what they want to do with the rules, and I just focus on my own performances, and for me, what is most important is that we have a competitive car. If we have a competitive car, with the chance to beat them, we will, so that is the only thing I'm focused on."
The Dutchman was also pushed on his late-season title charge, and conceded it was remarkable he was still in with a chance.
"To still be talking about being in the fight, I think, is already remarkable in the first place," he said before the Brazilian GP. For sure, it has to do with the turnaround of the team; they never gave up, and that's the strength of the team,” he added.
The current world champion Verstappen now finds himself 49 points behind Norris with just 83 left on the board following a strong run in which he won three of four races as McLaren wobbled.
At its greatest, Verstappen's deficit was 104 points to Piastri, as the Red Bull driver addressed McLaren's strategy and his own team's turnaround from its mid-season slump.
