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It was supposed to be McLaren’s dream season. Two young stars, equal machinery, and a promise of fair racing under the now-famous “papaya rules.” But as Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri continue to duel for the world championship alongside Max Verstappen, old suspicions are creeping back in. According to former F1 boss Bernie Ecclestone, McLaren’s equality pledge might not be as pure as it seems. The Briton believes the team secretly hopes for a Norris title, and that sentiment could be shaping their decisions.
Equality in theory, tension in practice
From the very start of the season, McLaren insisted on a simple philosophy: no number-one driver. Both Norris and Piastri would be free to fight, as long as they respected one golden rule, don’t take each other out. It sounded noble, even refreshing, in a sport often defined by hierarchy. Yet as the season unfolded, that same freedom has turned into a strategic headache.
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Moments of tension have been impossible to ignore. In Monza, Piastri was ordered to give a position back to Norris after a slow pit stop hampered the Brit’s race. The Australian obeyed, but frustration lingered. Weeks later in Singapore, the tension spilled over when Norris clipped Piastri during a close fight. McLaren later admitted Norris received an “internal penalty,” though it was quietly lifted soon after.
Those small calls have sparked a growing perception that McLaren’s equality is, at times, selective. And now that Norris has taken over the championship lead after Mexico, the debate has only intensified.
Ecclestone: “I thought Piastri would walk it”
Bernie Ecclestone, never one to hold back, added fuel to the fire this week in an interview with Sport.de. The 94-year-old, who once ruled Formula 1 with an iron fist, says he expected Piastri to dominate from the moment the season began.
“When the season started, I thought our Australian driver would become world champion,” Ecclestone said. “I genuinely believed it would be easy for him. He looked so calm and quick early on.”
But the veteran promoter senses something has changed inside McLaren. “There’s something holding him back now, and I don’t know what it is,” he added. “Maybe it’s McLaren themselves. I heard there might be a problem in the team, that they are favouring the British driver.”
Is Norris the chosen one?
Ecclestone’s comments hit a nerve because they echo what many in the paddock have whispered for months. Norris is McLaren’s homegrown star, the face of their revival and a media darling with a devoted fanbase. His personality fits the modern Formula 1 era – confident, funny, and constantly engaging with fans online. In a sport where branding is everything, a British champion in papaya orange would be a marketer’s dream.
“I think Lando has that star quality,” Ecclestone continued. “He behaves the way a top driver should. He enjoys the cameras, he’s good with journalists, and that’s better for McLaren from a commercial point of view.”
That notion, that McLaren’s management might subconsciously prioritise the driver who is more valuable off-track – raises an uncomfortable question. Can true equality exist when one driver represents a bigger marketing prize than the other?
Piastri’s quiet fight
Oscar Piastri, for his part, has handled the speculation with typical restraint. The Australian rarely shows emotion publicly, preferring to let his driving do the talking. Early in the season, he was almost faultless, trading wins with Norris and pushing Verstappen to the limit. But after the summer break, his momentum faded. While Norris surged, Piastri found himself caught in strategic compromises and unlucky timing.
Insiders suggest the atmosphere inside McLaren is professional but increasingly divided. Norris’s crew has hit peak confidence, while Piastri’s side of the garage feels the weight of expectation. And when title hopes are on the line, even small decisions – a pit call here, a tyre strategy there – can shape the outcome of a championship.
A familiar Formula 1 story
If Ecclestone’s suspicions are right, McLaren is facing a dilemma as old as the sport itself. Teams often begin with the best intentions of fairness, but once the title fight narrows, loyalties tend to form around the driver most likely to deliver. Red Bull did it with Verstappen, Mercedes did it with Hamilton, and Ferrari built entire eras around Schumacher. Could McLaren be quietly sliding down the same path?
From the outside, the team insists nothing has changed. But history shows that neutrality becomes harder to defend when the stakes rise. With Verstappen still lurking just 36 points behind, McLaren cannot afford costly infighting – yet their insistence on equality may already be costing them points.
The emotional edge
There’s also a psychological side to all this. Drivers can sense when the wind shifts inside a team. Norris’s body language radiates confidence; he talks about “maximising every weekend” and “going for the title.” Piastri, meanwhile, has sounded more cautious lately, talking about “learning moments” and “trusting the process.” Small words, perhaps, but in Formula 1 they often reveal the bigger picture.
Ecclestone, ever the provocateur, might simply be stirring the pot. But his comments expose a fragile balance at McLaren. Two world-class drivers, one team, and a championship at stake, it’s a formula that rarely ends peacefully.
What comes next
As the calendar heads to Brazil, the tension is unlikely to fade. Norris is in the form of his life, chasing his first world title. Piastri, still very much in contention, is desperate to prove he’s more than just McLaren’s number two. If the papaya rules are truly equal, the next few races will test them like never before.
For McLaren, the dream of dual dominance could yet turn into a nightmare of internal rivalry. And for fans, it’s the drama that makes this title race impossible to look away from.
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