VERSTAPPEN: “PIASTRI WON’T WANT TO BE THE SECOND DRIVER”
Max Verstappen was asked for his thoughts on the “Papaya Rules.”
The rivalry between McLaren drivers became a major topic of discussion after the first-lap battle at the Italian Grand Prix.
Following the events, McLaren CEO Zak Brown and team principal Andrea Stella announced that Piastri would take on a support role for Norris in the championship fight and that team orders would be enforced.
Championship leader Max Verstappen, however, expressed indifference to the decision. “They will do whatever they want to do, and it’s not my problem. I have my own problems right now.”
“From Oscar’s perspective, he’s closer to Lando than I am. So we’ll see how they handle it.”
Verstappen added that he understood why McLaren waited so long to implement team orders: “Norris and Piastri were very close to each other in the championship.”
“And Oscar isn’t someone who would want to be labeled as the team’s second driver.”
Max Verstappen also commented on the Azerbaijan Grand Prix: “Monza didn’t go well for us, but we’ve analyzed many things. Now it’s time to try to be better, so we’ll see how this weekend goes.”
“For us, the key is to better understand the car and to make it feel a bit more normal here.”
