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McLaren and Formula One would benefit from anything decisive during this championship battle involving Norris & Piastri getting resolved on the track and without resorting to team orders as the championship finale begins this weekend at COTA starting Friday.

Singapore Grand Prix fallout prompts internal strain

With the Marina Bay event’s doubtless extensive and stressful post-race analyses concluded, McLaren is aiming for a reset. The British driver was likely fully conscious about the historical parallels of his riposte to his aggrieved teammate at the last grand prix weekend. In a fiercely contested championship duel against Piastri, his reference to one of Ayrton Senna’s most famous sentiments was lost on no one but the incident which triggered his statement was of an entirely different nature to those that defined the Brazilian’s iconic battles.

“Should you criticize me for simply attempting on the inside through an opening then you should not be in Formula One,” stated Norris of his opening-lap attempt to pass that led to their vehicles making contact.

His comment appeared to paraphrase Senna’s “If you no longer go for a gap which is there you are no longer a true racer” defence he provided to the racing knight following his collision with the French champion at Suzuka back in 1990, ensuring he took the championship.

Parallel mindset but different circumstances

While the spirit is similar, the phrasing marks where parallels stop. Senna later admitted he had no intent to allow Prost beat him through the first corner whereas Norris did try to make his pass cleanly at the Marina Bay circuit. In fact, his maneuver was legitimate which received no penalty even with the glancing blow he made against his McLaren teammate as he went through. This incident was a result of him touching the Red Bull driven by Verstappen in front of him.

Piastri reacted furiously and, notably, immediately declared that Norris gaining the place was “unfair”; the implication being the two teammates clashing was forbidden under McLaren’s rules for racing and Norris should be instructed to return the position he gained. McLaren did not do so, but it was indicative that during disputes between them, both will promptly appeal the squad to step in in their favor.

Squad management and impartiality being examined

This comes naturally from McLaren's commendable approach to let their drivers race against each other and to try to maintain strict fairness. Aside from creating complex dilemmas when establishing rules about what defines 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 to the title race, six races left, Piastri leads Norris by twenty-two points, each racer's view exists as fair and when their perspectives might split from the team's stance. Which is when the amicable relationship between the two could eventually – become a little bit more Senna-Prost.

“It’s going to come 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 aggression will increase further. That's when it begins to get interesting.”

Viewer desires and championship implications

For the audience, in what is a two-horse race, getting interesting will probably be welcomed in the form of a track duel rather than a data-driven decision of circumstances. Not least because in Formula One the alternative perception from all this is not particularly rousing.

Honestly speaking, McLaren is taking the correct decisions for their interests and it has paid off. They secured their 10th constructors’ title in Singapore (though a great achievement overshadowed by the controversy from the Norris-Piastri moment) and in Andrea Stella as squad leader they possess a moral and upright commander who truly aims to act correctly.

Racing purity versus team management

However, with racers in a championship fight appealing to the team for resolutions appears unsightly. Their contest ought to be determined through racing. Luck and destiny will have roles, yet preferable to allow them simply go at it and see how fortune falls, rather than the sense that every disputed moment will be pored over by the team to ascertain whether intervention is needed and subsequently resolved afterwards behind closed doors.

The scrutiny will intensify and each time it happens it is in danger of possibly affecting outcomes which might prove decisive. Already, following the team's decision their drivers swap places in Italy due to Norris experiencing a delayed stop and Piastri believing he had been hard done by regarding tactics at Hungary, where Norris won, the shadow of concern about bias also looms.

Squad viewpoint and upcoming tests

Nobody desires to see a title constantly disputed over perceived that fairness attempts had not been balanced. Questioned whether he felt the team had acted correctly toward both racers, Piastri responded that they did, but noted it's a developing process.

“There’s been some challenging moments and we discussed various aspects,” he stated after Singapore. “However finally it’s a learning process for the entire squad.”

Six meetings remain. The team has minimal wriggle room left to do their cramming, thus perhaps wiser to just stop analyzing and step back from the fray.