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F1, McLaren: unknown 'Papaya Rules', Oscar Piastri does not hide

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The qualifying sessions for the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, the final (and decisive) round of the 2025 Formula 1 World Championship, have rewarded Max Verstappen, who will start Sunday’s race ahead of the McLarens of Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri. Precisely within the Woking stable, the discussion continues on the possibility of setting aside the so-called “Papaya Rules” (the’absence of team orders to benefit one or the other driver) and study a more conservative and less risky plan to pare the team&#8217s interests, regardless of the driver. Piastri, when questioned on the subject, opened to the possibility, without hiding too much.

“It will all depend on what happens on the track and the’real time evolution of the standings – said the Australian driver, third in the standings with 16 points to make up with his teammate -. We will talk about it with the team because until now there has never been a team order. There&#8217s to say that I still have a chance to win but if we were in a situation where it would be more convenient for the team to let Lando pass it could abso happen. However, we will figure it out tomorrow”. Piastri, in qualifying, set a best time 230 thousandths slower than Verstappen, while Norris did better than the Australian by only 29 thousandths.

Francesco LuciveroLewis Hamilton wrecks his Ferrari and returns to the pits on a scooter: photos

Lewis Hamilton destroys his Ferrari: the pictures
Unlucky practice session for the seven-time world champion in Abu Dhabi
Hamilton spun with his Ferrari with 30 seconds left in the session
After losing control, the British driver crashed into the wall, destroying his single-seater
It's yet another mishap of a season to forget
The British driver asked for a ride back to the Ferrari pits
The'former Mercedes was unharmed and returned to the paddock on a scooter
His Ferrari was transported off the track with a crane
The Maranello single-seater was loaded onto a tow truck
The Ferrari number 44 is sadly back in the pits
The sad image of a nightmarish season for Hamilton
Hamilton lost control in Turn 9
Ferrari was covered with a black veil
Another day of overtime for the Ferrari team

Winner of seven races and a Sprint this season, Oscar Piastri found himself leading the standings just past the halfway point of the year, except for losing a few too many points from Azerbaijan onward, with a roster marked by a retirement right in Baku, a fourth place in Singapore and three fifth places in a row in Austin, Mexico City and Interlagos (where, by the way, he retired in the Sprint). In Qatar, the young Italian-born driver (one of his great-great-grandfathers was from Licciana Nardi, in the province of Massa-Carrara) reared his head again, winning the Sprint Race and finishing second in the long race on Sunday, but in the meantime his gap to the top has grown to 16 lengths.

The Abu Dhabi Grand Prix will be run on Sunday, December 7: the traffic lights are scheduled to go out at 2 p.m. Italian time.

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