Guenther Steiner’s Bold U-Turn: McLaren’s Papaya Power Could Propel Verstappen to Glory!
In a stunning reversal, Guenther Steiner, the outspoken former Haas team principal, has thrown his weight behind Max Verstappen’s bid for the 2025 drivers’ championship, declaring on The Red Flags Podcast that the Red Bull superstar is far from out of the race. In a lighthearted jab at McLaren, he quipped, “The papaya rules are for Max,” suggesting that the Woking team might inadvertently play a crucial role in Verstappen’s title chase.
Reflecting on his previous skepticism just a few races ago, Steiner remarked, “I was completely no… now I’m saying yes,” underscoring the shifting dynamics of the championship battle. The podcast hosts couldn’t resist joining in on the fun, teasing that Verstappen’s loyal supporters, often dubbed the ‘orange army’, might as well be affiliated with McLaren given their vibrant color scheme.
Steiner didn’t shy away from addressing the recent struggles of Oscar Piastri following a tumultuous weekend in Mexico. He expressed his disappointment in how McLaren has failed to adequately support the young Australian driver, stating, “He’s struggling now and I don’t know what exactly is happening, but one of the things I could conclude is that Oscar doesn’t get the support from the team to win the championship.”
With a candid assessment, he added, “You lose a little bit of your mojo. You have doubts and you don’t perform.” Piastri, who started the season as an underdog, has seen his confidence wane as he faced mounting pressure, with Steiner noting that being the number two driver in a team where Lando Norris has more experience can be daunting.
Pointing to the complexities of the Mexico Grand Prix, Steiner advised against making hasty conclusions about the performance of the Red Bull cars compared to their rivals. The high-altitude setting of the Mexican circuit creates unique challenges that could skew perceptions of car capabilities. “We shouldn’t jump to the conclusion that Red Bull is not good anymore,” he warned.
He elaborated, “Mexico is such a special race course with the altitude… sometimes it goes better, sometimes worse,” emphasizing that the design and setup of a car for such unique conditions is a gamble. Steiner insisted that the true competitive landscape will emerge as teams adapt and evolve their strategies in upcoming races.
As the Formula 1 season progresses, all eyes are now on how McLaren’s unexpectedly pivotal role may shape the fate of the championship. Will the “papaya rules” indeed favor Max Verstappen, or will Oscar Piastri find the support he desperately needs to reclaim his racing edge? Only time will tell, but one thing is for sure: the battle for the 2025 title is heating up, and the stakes couldn’t be higher.
