Jenson Button has swatted away growing chatter about a supposed “British bias” at McLaren, urging the team and the fans to stick to facts rather than fiction as Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri push toward
the 2025 title fight.
Fans have spent weeks dissecting McLaren’s race calls, pit strategies and the mysterious ‘Papaya Rules,’ convinced that Norris, a Brit, is being nudged ahead of his Australian teammate.
The noise only got louder as Norris opened up a 24-point lead over Piastri, helped by a flawless run in Brazil while Piastri endured a crash-filled Sprint and a fifth-place finish.
Button, the last Brit to win an F1 championship back in 2009, isn’t buying the favouritism narrative.
Instead, he’s calling for transparency inside the team and honest, adult conversations.
“You’ve got to get out there and speak to Zak and Andrea,” Button said.
“Ask them, ‘Was this fair? Would you do it again? Do you have my back?’ And trust them when they tell you the truth. That’s the main thing.”
He also pointed out the obvious flaw in the “Team Britain” conspiracy theory: McLaren’s top brass isn’t even British.
“People say, ‘Do they want the British driver to win because it’s a British team?’ Well, Zak’s not British. Andrea’s not British. So… just be as open as you can.”
Still, the scrutiny hasn’t stopped. McLaren’s resurgent form has only magnified every strategic call, every radio message, every subtle shift in team dynamics.
And with Norris surging just when Piastri hit a rough patch, fans have been quick to connect dots — even if the team insists they’re imaginary.
At the end of the day, though, the standings don’t lie: Norris has simply delivered. He’s raced at a level worthy of a future World Champion, and now he edges ever closer to making that title a reality.
