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The champagne of the constructors' championship has barely dried and the atmosphere at McLaren has already turned again. Lando Norris has taken internal responsibility for the clash with Oscar Piastri in Singapore, but behind the scenes the damage is greater. The Papaya Rules are definitively broken and Austin becomes a psychological minefield.
Andrea Stella confirms: there are consequences for Norris
As Formula 1 lands in Austin, Texas, McLaren is trying to keep the lid on a boiling pot. Team boss Andrea Stella has confirmed that there are "consequences" for Lando Norris after his aggressive overtaking move on teammate Oscar Piastri in Singapore.
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Norris himself admits he has been "held accountable" and that the action "should not have happened". But this carefully orchestrated mea culpa cannot hide the deeper reality: the trust breach is complete.
The Brit had to take internal responsibility for his driving behavior. A rare step within a team that normally maintains the façade of unity.
Papaya Rules come back as boomerang
This article dives deeper than the official statements. McLaren's attempt to create absolute fairness through the "Papaya Rules" is now coming back as a boomerang.
Piastri, who was still forced to give up his position in Monza, felt let down in Singapore when the team refused to intervene. His icy silence and the measured response "this is not how we want to race each other" speaks volumes.
How Papaya Rules failed:
● Intended to guarantee fairness
● Created expectation of consistent intervention
● Monza: Piastri had to give up position
● Singapore: no intervention when Piastri needed it
● Inconsistency undermines trust
● System only works if both sides treated fairly
The Australian driver feels unfairly treated. The rules that disadvantaged him in Monza were suddenly not applied when he needed them.
Piastri's icy reaction telling
Piastri's reaction after Singapore was icy. "This is not how we want to race each other," he said briefly. The usually calm Australian showed his frustration.
That short statement says more than long declarations. It's a clear message to the team: this is not acceptable. The friendship between the two drivers seems definitively over.
Experts: dynamics irreversibly changed
The analysis from experts underscores the seriousness of the situation. The dynamics have irreversibly changed from a friendly rivalry to a hard, irreconcilable title fight.
Now that the constructors' championship is secured, there's no team interest that supersedes personal ambitions. Both drivers are now fighting purely for their own glory.
What experts say:
● Friendly rivalry definitively over
● No common goal anymore
● Every action now taken personally
● Psychological damage cannot be repaired
● Austin becomes crucial test for team dynamics
● Stella's position increasingly difficult
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