Despite all the questions raised about McLaren’s papaya rules last season, Jolyon Palmer has acknowledged they got their strategy right.
Throughout the title fight between Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, McLaren’s handling of the situation drew plenty of attention. There were concerns that it might end up damaging the relationship between the two drivers.
Norris went on to win the championship without any issues between him and Piastri. But there were still people who felt things could get worse.
If that had happened, it could have led to changes within McLaren. They might have made a different decision with either Norris or Piastri if they believed it was best for the team in the long term.
But despite his past criticism, former F1 driver Jolyon Palmer now believes that McLaren handled things well and ended up making it work.
Jolyon Palmer shifts stance on McLaren’s approach to Norris and Piastri
Reflecting on McLaren’s handling of Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri during the 2025 season, Jolyon Palmer spoke on the F1 Nation podcast about how his view has changed.
While he’d been critical of the team’s approach at the time, Palmer admitted that their success across both championships showed they had managed things well.
“They sort of got away with it because McLaren won both championships. So they were spinning plates the whole way through the season, and it must have given them so much extra work that the other teams weren’t having to do…”
“You’ve probably got Zak and Andrea Stella in communication with the race engineers. How much communication, how much thought process is going on to how you manage those races?
George Russell and Kimi Antonelli might benefit from how McLaren handled Norris and Piastri
Kimi Antonelli and George Russell are both at the top of the drivers’ standings, which has raised questions about whether Mercedes is heading for another internal battle. This came up when discussing the past issues between Norris and Piastri at McLaren.
Russell hasn’t looked comfortable since Antonelli’s rise. The momentum he built early in the season has faded a bit in recent races, adding to his frustration.
While Antonelli may be leading now, there’s still plenty of racing left, and Russell’s experience could become a factor as the season wears on. Managing this dynamic won’t be easy for Mercedes boss Toto Wolff.
He’s been here before, most notably during the intense battles between Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg under his watch at Mercedes.
This time, Wolff will want to avoid similar issues. Watching how McLaren managed their drivers last year could offer some valuable lessons on keeping things balanced within his own team.
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