Former Haas F1 team principal Guenther Steiner has advised McLaren to "change" its 'papaya rules' and prioritise one driver in the title fight due to the growing threat of Max Verstappen.
Last season, McLaren team principal Andrea Stella imposed 'papaya rules' to ensure the squad achieved the best result possible in every grand prix, imposing clear instructions to both Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri.
McLaren travel to this weekend's Singapore Grand Prix after a disastrous performance in Baku, which saw Piastri crash twice and Norris finish in seventh. It meant the Woking-based outfit failed to seal the constructors' title, something it can do at the Marina Bay Street Circuit.
However, while McLaren struggled, Red Bull made significant strides, with Verstappen clinching victory from pole position in Baku. It represented back-to-back wins for the Dutchman, who is now 69 points adrift of Piastri with seven rounds remaining.
Red Bull has made considerable progress since introducing a new floor to the RB21 in Monza, where Verstappen again triumphed from pole position.
For many, the Singapore GP is being viewed as the deciding factor over whether Verstappen is in the fight for a fifth consecutive drivers' championship, as it has been a bogey venue for Red Bull in recent seasons.
Norris dominated in Singapore last year due to the track being littered with medium-speed corners. This has typically been a weakness for Red Bull, meaning a strong performance would signify that Verstappen can compete for victory in all the remaining races.
Steiner remains unsure if Verstappen is genuinely in the title fight, although he is certain McLaren must now change its 'rules' system and prioritise one driver.
"I would be more willing to say he has got a chance, not saying that he's going to win it, but he has got a chance at the moment," said Steiner on the Red Flags podcast.
"Because even if Max wins, the other two, under normal circumstances, have the second fastest car. I don't think Ferrari can get there.
"The Mercedes, it's just like in some races, they are very good, but there are very few of them, and maybe there is one. So I think even if Max has got the best car, he will not win them all anyway, in my opinion.
"But it could open up, and it gets competitive, and that McLaren has to change the papaya rules and support one driver [to win the title]. They maybe should have done that a little bit earlier.
"But obviously they want to be fair, even wanting to lose a world championship by being fair, I wouldn't do that."
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