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McLaren and F1 could do with any conclusive outcome during this championship battle between Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri getting resolved through on-track action rather than without resorting to team orders as the championship finale kicks off at the Circuit of the Americas starting Friday.

Marina Bay race aftermath prompts team tensions

After the Singapore Grand Prix’s doubtless extensive and stressful debriefs dealt with, McLaren will be hoping for a fresh start. Norris was likely fully conscious about the historical parallels of his riposte toward his upset colleague during the previous grand prix weekend. During an intense championship duel against Piastri, that Norris invoked one of Ayrton Senna’s well-known quotes did not go unnoticed yet the occurrence which triggered his statement differed completely from incidents characterizing Senna's great rivalries.

“Should you criticize me for just going on the inside through an opening then you should not be in F1,” stated Norris of his opening-lap attempt to overtake which resulted in their vehicles making contact.

The remark appeared to paraphrase the Brazilian legend's “If you no longer go for a gap that exists you are no longer a racing driver” justification he provided to Sir Jackie Stewart after he ploughed into the French champion in Japan back in 1990, securing him the title.

Parallel mindset yet distinct situations

While the spirit remains comparable, the wording is where the similarities end. The late champion confessed he never intended to allow Prost beat him at turn one while Norris did try to execute a clean overtake in Singapore. Indeed, his maneuver was legitimate which received no penalty even with the glancing blow he had with his McLaren teammate during the pass. This incident was a result of him touching the Red Bull of Max Verstappen ahead of him.

The Australian responded angrily and, notably, instantly stated that Norris's position gain was “unfair”; the implication being their collision was forbidden under McLaren’s rules for racing and Norris should be instructed to return the position he gained. McLaren did not do so, yet it demonstrated that during disputes of contention, each would quickly ask the squad to intervene on his behalf.

Team dynamics and impartiality being examined

This is part and parcel from McLaren's commendable approach to let their drivers race one another and strive to be as scrupulously fair. Aside from tying some torturous knots when establishing rules about what defines just or unjust – under these conditions, now includes bad luck, tactical calls and racing incidents like in Marina Bay – there is the question regarding opinions.

Most crucially to the title race, six races left, Piastri leads Norris by twenty-two points, there is what each driver perceives on fairness and at what point their opinion may diverge with that of the McLaren pitwall. That is when the amicable relationship between the two could eventually – turn somewhat into Senna-Prost.

“It will reach a point where minor points count,” commented Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff post-race. “Then they’ll start to calculate and back-calculate and I guess aggression will increase further. That’s when it starts to become thrilling.”

Audience expectations and championship implications

For spectators, during this dual battle, getting interesting will likely be appreciated in the form of a track duel rather than a spreadsheet-based arbitration of circumstances. Not least because for F1 the other impression from these events is not particularly rousing.

Honestly speaking, McLaren are making the correct decisions for themselves and it has paid off. They clinched their tenth team championship in Singapore (though a great achievement diminished by the fuss prompted by the Norris-Piastri moment) and with Stella as squad leader they have an ethical and principled leader who truly aims to act correctly.

Racing purity against team management

Yet having drivers in a championship fight looking to the pitwall for resolutions appears unsightly. Their competition ought to be determined through racing. Chance and fate will play their part, but better to let them just battle freely and observe outcomes naturally, rather than the sense that each contentious incident will be analyzed intensely by the team to determine if intervention is needed and subsequently resolved later in private.

The examination will intensify with every occurrence it risks possibly affecting outcomes which might prove decisive. Already, after the team made for position swaps in Italy because Norris had endured a slow pit stop and Piastri believing he was treated unfairly with the strategy call at Hungary, where Norris triumphed, the shadow of concern of favouritism also looms.

Team perspective and future challenges

No one wants to witness a championship endlessly debated over perceived that fairness attempts had not been balanced. When asked if he believed the squad had managed to do right by both drivers, Piastri said that they did, but mentioned that it was an ever-evolving approach.

“We've had several difficult situations and we discussed a number of things,” he said after Singapore. “But ultimately it’s a learning process with the whole team.”

Six meetings remain. The team has minimal wriggle room left to do their cramming, so it may be better to just close the books and step back from the conflict.