Halfway through the 2024 Formula 1 season, McLaren saw an unexpected chance to fight for the Drivers’ Championship with Lando Norris and decided to implement team orders.

The so called "papaya rules" were first mentioned during the Italian Grand Prix when Norris' race engineer, Will Joseph, used the term over the team radio after Oscar Piastri made an aggressive move to overtake the Briton, who then dropped behind Charles Leclerc.

While many understood the phrase to mean racing fairly and avoiding collisions, McLaren team boss Andrea Stella suggested it also had a deeper goal: protecting Norris’ chances in the championship.

The plan didn’t work well. Piastri’s move at Monza hurt Norris’ chances of winning the race, especially since Max Verstappen only finished sixth that day.

The “papaya rules” also caused confusion among fans and drivers with Verstappen himself calling the idea “nonsense,” adding to the criticism McLaren faced for their attempt at using team orders.

"This is another nonsense quote," Verstappen told Viaplay.

"What is that referring to? Papaya rules... I have no use for that at all. 

"When I'm told that by my engineer, I immediately say, 'Just shut up.' What is that supposed to mean? 

"'You're allowed to race'. They should have solved all that much easier and better as a team."

At the end of the day, the team orders had no effect anyway as Verstappen ultimately claimed his fourth consecutive title, while McLaren was at least happy with their Constructors’ Championship triumph.