"I don't want to be given a championship" - Lando Norris on McLaren's 'Papaya rules' following Oscar Piastri threat

Ahead of the Azerbaijan GP, Lando Norris elaborated on McLaren's 'Papaya rules,' emphasizing that he doesn't wish to be handed the Drivers' Championship but aims to fight for it.

With eight races remaining in the season, Norris sits 62 points behind leader Max Verstappen, while his teammate Oscar Piastri is a further 106 points adrift. The 'Papaya Rules' have been a topic of debate after Piastri made a bold move on Norris in the first lap of the Italian GP.

McLaren confirmed their support for Lando Norris's bid for the championship. However, the 24-year-old emphasized that he doesn't want to be handed a title, stating he wouldn't be proud of winning in that manner. He expressed his desire to fight for the championship on merit.

When asked if he expects the Aussie driver to relinquish the lead and swap positions, Norris responded (via Motorsport.com):

"No. In general, probably for lower positions, but if he's fought for a win and he's deserving of a win, then he deserves to win."

"If a driver is doing better than me and performing, I need to do a better job, so I wouldn't want to take that away from someone. I also don't want to be given a championship. Yes, it would be great to have a championship, and on the short term you feel amazing, but I don't think you'd be proud of that in the long run," he added.

Norris continued:

"That's not something I want, that's not how I want to win a championship. I want to win it by fighting against Max, by beating Max, beating my competitors, and proving that I'm the best on track. And that's how I want to win."

The revised 'Papaya rules' will be put to a test this weekend in Azerbaijan, with the weekend scheduled for September 13-15.

---

Lando Norris insists Oscar Piastri's Turn Four move wasn't ideal for McLaren

The McLaren drivers started on the front row for the Italian GP and maintained their positions heading into the second chicane. However, Oscar Piastri's bold move unsettled Lando Norris, causing him to lose another position to Ferrari's Charles Leclerc, who ultimately went on to win the race.

Norris explained that Piastri's move wasn't ideal for the team, adding that they have since clarified certain rules on how they must race each other.

"I think the main thing is we came out of Turn Four in first and third and had the biggest gap in the world going into the corner," Lando Norris told Sky Sports F1.

"So it wasn't an ideal point in my world, but also as a team. It's not how we should have gone racing there. I think clearer instructions of how we can race each other has been cleared up," he added.

Oscar Piastri acknowledged the need to refine the 'Papaya Rules' when both drivers are running 1-2, especially if he's leading. He admitted that he would obey team orders but fight for race wins for the remainder of the season.