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The British racing team along with Formula One could do with anything decisive in the title fight between Norris and Piastri getting resolved on the track and without reference to team orders as the championship finale kicks off at the COTA on Friday.

Singapore Grand Prix fallout prompts internal strain

After the Marina Bay event’s undoubtedly thorough and stressful post-race analyses dealt with, McLaren is aiming for a reset. The British driver was almost certainly more than aware about the historical parallels of his riposte toward his upset colleague during the previous race weekend. In a fiercely contested championship duel with the Australian, that Norris invoked a famous Senna most famous sentiments did not go unnoticed yet the occurrence that provoked his comment was of an entirely different nature from incidents characterizing the Brazilian’s great rivalries.

“If you fault me for simply attempting an inside move of a big gap then you should not be in Formula One,” stated Norris of his opening-lap attempt to pass that led to the cars colliding.

His comment seemed to echo Senna’s “Should you stop attempting an available gap which is there then you cease to be a racing driver” justification he gave to the racing knight after he ploughed into Alain Prost at Suzuka in 1990, securing him the title.

Similar spirit yet distinct situations

Although the attitude is similar, the phrasing is where the similarities end. The late champion confessed he never intended to allow Prost to defeat him at turn one whereas Norris attempted to make his pass cleanly at the Marina Bay circuit. Indeed, it was a perfectly valid effort that went unpenalised despite the minor contact he made against his team colleague as he went through. This incident was a result of him clipping the Red Bull driven by Verstappen ahead of him.

Piastri reacted furiously and, significantly, immediately declared that Norris gaining the place seemed unjust; the implication being the two teammates clashing was forbidden by team protocols of engagement and Norris should be instructed to give back the place he had made. McLaren did not do so, yet it demonstrated that during disputes of contention, each would quickly ask to the team to intervene on his behalf.

Squad management and fairness being examined

This is part and parcel of McLaren’s laudable efforts to let their drivers race one another and to try to be as scrupulously fair. Quite apart from tying some torturous knots in setting precedents over what constitutes just or unjust – under these conditions, now includes misfortune, strategy and racing incidents like in Marina Bay – there is the question of perception.

Most crucially for the championship, with six meetings remaining, Piastri is ahead of Norris by twenty-two points, there is what each driver perceives as fair and when their opinion may diverge from the team's stance. That is when their friendly rapport between the two may – finally – turn somewhat into the iconic rivalry.

“It will reach a point where minor points count,” commented Mercedes boss Toto Wolff after Singapore. “Then they’ll start to calculate and re-calculations and I suppose the elbows are going to come out further. That's when it begins to become thrilling.”

Audience expectations and title consequences

For the audience, during this dual battle, getting interesting will likely be appreciated in the form of a track duel instead of a spreadsheet-based arbitration regarding incidents. Not least because in Formula One the other impression from all this isn't very inspiring.

To be fair, McLaren is taking the correct decisions for themselves and it has paid off. They secured their tenth team championship at Marina Bay (albeit a brilliant success overshadowed by the fuss prompted by the Norris-Piastri moment) and in Andrea Stella as team principal they possess a moral and principled leader who genuinely wants to do the right thing.

Sporting integrity against team management

Yet having drivers in a championship fight looking to the pitwall to decide matters appears unsightly. Their contest should be decided on track. Chance and fate will play their part, but better to let them just battle freely and observe outcomes naturally, than the impression that every disputed moment will be pored over by the squad to determine if intervention is needed and then cleared up later in private.

The scrutiny will increase with every occurrence it is in danger of potentially making a difference which might prove decisive. Previously, following the team's decision their drivers swap places in Italy because Norris had endured a slow pit stop and Piastri believing he was treated unfairly regarding tactics in Budapest, where Norris won, the spectre of a fear of favouritism also emerges.

Team perspective and future challenges

No one wants to witness a championship constantly disputed because it may be considered that fairness attempts were unequal. When asked if he believed the squad had managed to do right toward both racers, Piastri responded he believed they had, but noted it's a developing process.

“We've had several difficult situations and we discussed various aspects,” he said after Singapore. “But ultimately it's educational with the whole team.”

Six races stay. McLaren have little room for error for last-minute adjustments, so it may be better to just stop analyzing and withdraw from the fray.