Lando Norris has revealed that McLaren have had “discussions” over potential team orders with Oscar Piastri ahead of Sunday’s Australian Grand Prix.

McLaren confirmed their status as F1 2025 title favourites in qualifying at Albert Park by securing a front-row lockout, with Piastri falling just 0.084 seconds short of polesitter Norris.

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The third-placed Red Bull of Max Verstappen, the reigning World Champion, was a massive 0.385s slower than Norris’s pole lap.

Despite winning their first Constructors’ Championship in 26 years last season, McLaren were criticised for their hesitant approach to team orders, particularly after Piastri overtook title-chasing Norris for the lead on the opening lap at Monza.

With McLaren later vowing to “bias” decisions in Norris’s favour, Piastri swapped positions to gift his team-mate in the Brazil sprint race before Norris returned the favour at the penultimate round in Qatar.

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Speaking to media including PlanetF1.com after that race, Norris confirmed that McLaren’s so-called ‘papaya rules’ would be “refreshed” for 2025 with both drivers restored to equal treatment.

Appearing in the post-qualifying press conference in Australia, Norris reiterated that there are clear rules the McLaren drivers “cannot cross” in combat but confirmed that they are “free to race.”

He said: “Oscar does a really good Andrea [Brown] accent, so maybe he wants to say it from Andrea’s point [of view] or a Zak [Brown] accent.

“There’s obviously been discussions. We’re prepared.

“We know we’re going to have a lot more of this kind of thing over the course of the season, so there are clearly rules.

“I answered this the other day, but there’s literally rules we cannot cross. Both cars will always have to stay in the race and that kind of thing.

“But we’re both competitors. That’s clear. We both want to fight for a win and fight for victories, that’s clear.

“But there’s just boundaries around the car, so it’s just a little bit more space here and there, but we’re free to race. We’re free to try and win races.

“But what won us the Constructors’ [Championship] last year was how we helped one another out and how we kept things clean and how there was order when there was needed to be, but a lot of that was very much later in the season and when external things were happening.

“At the minute, there is none of that so it’s good. We’re both excited.

“Of course we’ll always have our morning talks, but we’ll see.”

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Piastri echoed his team-mate’s thoughts, adding that he and Norris have the ability to “take advantage of certain situations” individually in racing scenarios.

Mimicking the voice of team principal Stella, he said: “I think the only Andrea accent I can do is about some of the inn-ov-a-tive things on our car, which everyone’s already obviously seen now!

“We’re free to race each other. I obviously want to win the races as much as Lando does. I think he summed it up very well.

“I think in any team, not just McLaren, obviously the number-one rule is to have no contact and to give each other space, so that’s no different.

“If there’s opportunities for either of us to take advantage of certain situations, then we will and we’re free to do that.

“But ultimately we are racing for the team. It’s a very important thing for us.

“And I think we said numerous times last year, the teamwork that we show as drivers, but also as a team, is what won us the Constructors’ Championship last year.

“I think it’s important to recognise that fact because I think obviously the car has has been strong for a while now, but I think also the team is very strong.

“That’s as good as I can put it.”

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