“If Only They Had a Car…”: Papaya Army Stands Strong for Lando Norris & Oscar Piastri’s Talents Despite McLaren’s Underachievement

McLaren has gotten a hundred things wrong this year, but its driver pairing isn’t one of them. The two youngsters, Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, aged 23 and 22, respectively, have started to work well together. Amid the dark times for the team, they’ve at least kept each other’s morale up as they continue to hype each other up. Lando Norris, despite being only a year older, has acted like a mature driver and has helped Piastri settle in well.

With all this happening on the good side, the dark side has still prevailed. Even as they brought upgrades to Baku and planned for more in Imola, McLaren has failed to deliver a suitable car for their drivers, as they stand only fifth in the constructors’ championship. Be it excessive drag, weight, or low grip, among a ton of other problems, the drivers have been left alone to deal with the MCL60 “tractor”.

Seeing all this, the fans have been frustrated over the team’s incompetence. They fear that the team will not just end up losing its middle-of-the-pack status but also the two very talented drivers if they continue to fail over and over. The fans blindly back the drivers, as they recognize it’s the team’s problems that keep the duo at the back of the grid. Furthermore, their aggression has found a target—McLaren CEO Zak Brown.

Fans support Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri 

The drivers have received massive sympathy from the fans against what they have termed “tyranny”. Norris and Piastri have strived to deliver, but the machinery underneath them has been far from perfect. It’s a miracle for the team to stand in fifth place. However, the points explain the real difference between the fourth and fifth. The Papaya Army continues to voice its opinion and ask the team to deliver, at least for the sake of their drivers.

A few of the fans, under their Instagram post, wrote:

“Now give ‘em a car…”

“If only they had a car to match their talent.”

“Shame you’ve given them a fiat punto to race in…”

READ MORE: Amid McLaren’s Disastrous Season, Lando Norris’ Faint Hopes for a Brighter F1 Future Tipped to Be Vanishing Away

Another group thought that the team had its priorities wrong. They wrote,

“Does anyone else feel that this team is focusing more on social media then racing?”

“It’s hard to be fast in that car.. #sackzacbrown”

Having already called a tractor, another name emerged for the MCL60: Fiat Punto. As a fan wrote: “Shame you’ve given them a fiat punto to race in…”

WATCH THIS STORY: Will Lando Norris Switch Teams From the Miserable McLaren – What are his Options?

The MCL60 has tons of problems. The team with its outgoing wind tunnel would be looking for a better season next year, as this year it seems to have put its hammer down already.