“Gotta Bring Your A Game”: Papaya Army Readies Its Weapons as McLaren Starts Civil War With Max Verstappen Fans

Hold on to your racing helmets, folks, because McLaren is ready to unleash a powerhouse of upgrades that could leave their competitors eating their exhaust fumes. After a weak start to the season, the team is banking on a game-changing package set to debut at the Red Bull Ring, with more surprises in store at Silverstone and the Hungaroring. Technical Director James Key’s replacement, Peter Prodromou, along with Neil Houldey and David Sanchez, are pulling out all the stops to catapult McLaren back into the winner’s circle. With the stakes going high, McLaren has teased Red Bull fans with a tweet.

But with big updates come big responsibilities. Responsibilities such as the simmering rivalry between McLaren’s ‘Papaya Army’ and Max Verstappen‘s ‘Orange Army’. As the 2023 season progresses, Red Bull’s Dutch dynamo, Max Verstappen, leads the pack, boasting six wins this season. Nevertheless, the spirit of competition is far from dampened. McLaren, currently sitting sixth in the Constructors’ Championship, is rallying its supporters, the Papaya Army really well, for the upcoming Austrian Grand Prix.

In the post, the McLaren Twitter handle posted a picture that reads, “Next time out is Austria, where there is a hell of a lot of Papaya, all for McLaren.” McLaren took a sly dig at the Red Bull’s orange army. As we all know that Red Bull fans celebrate their win with orange smoke. But this tweet suggests that there will be orange smoke but this time it’ll be in a different shade of orange and that it’ll be McLaren fans who would be rejoicing.

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As the stakes rise, the fans eagerly await the next Grand Prix. Will the Papaya Army’s battle cry translate to a stronger performance on the track? Only time will tell.

McLaren in hopes of charting a course to victory

As the season continues, the McLaren team has its work cut out for them. Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, the duo responsible for securing McLaren’s 17 points this season, must perform at their peak to shake up the rankings. And as they gear up for the Austrian GP, they are expected to push their MCL60s to the limit. In the reaction to the original McLaren tweet, fans felt overwhelmed to not mention the clash of colors with Verstappen:

Whereas some fans experienced pure joy from the tweet’s aura.

Next up is an ode to Sebastian Vettel’s Ferrari quote at the 2016 Canadian GP that’s sure to make you chuckle up.

In the end, it’s not just about the points or the podium; it’s about the spirit of wholesomeness that makes Formula 1 such an amazing sport.

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As the Papaya Army and the Orange Army gear up for an epic showdown, one thing’s for sure – the Austrian Grand Prix could be a race to remember.