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McLaren and F1 would benefit from anything decisive in the championship battle involving Norris & Piastri being decided on the track rather than without reference to the pit wall as the championship finale kicks off at the COTA on Friday.

Singapore Grand Prix fallout leads to internal strain

After the Marina Bay event’s doubtless extensive and tense post-race analyses concluded, McLaren is aiming for a reset. The British driver was almost certainly fully conscious about the historical parallels of his riposte toward his upset colleague at the last race weekend. During an intense championship duel with the Australian, that Norris invoked a famous Senna well-known quotes did not go unnoticed but the incident which triggered his statement differed completely to those that defined the Brazilian’s iconic battles.

“Should you criticize me for just going an inside move of a big gap then you should not be in Formula One,” Norris said regarding his first-lap move to pass that led to their vehicles making contact.

His comment seemed to echo the Brazilian legend's “If you no longer go an available gap that exists then you cease to be a racing driver” justification he provided to Sir Jackie Stewart after he ploughed into the French champion in Japan in 1990, securing him the title.

Parallel mindset yet distinct situations

While the spirit remains comparable, the phrasing is where the similarities end. The late champion confessed he had no intent to allow Prost beat him through the first corner while Norris did try to execute a clean overtake at the Marina Bay circuit. In fact, it was a perfectly valid effort which received no penalty even with the glancing blow he had with his team colleague during the pass. That itself stemmed from him clipping the Red Bull of Max Verstappen in front of him.

Piastri reacted furiously and, notably, immediately declared that Norris gaining the place seemed unjust; suggesting that the two teammates clashing was verboten by team protocols of engagement and Norris should be instructed to return the position he gained. The team refused, but it was indicative that in any cases between them, both will promptly appeal the squad to step in in their favor.

Team dynamics and fairness under scrutiny

This comes naturally from McLaren's commendable approach to allow their racers compete against each other and strive to maintain strict fairness. Quite apart from tying some torturous knots in setting precedents about what defines fair or unfair – under these conditions, now covers misfortune, tactical calls and on-track occurrences like in Marina Bay – there is the question of perception.

Of most import for the championship, with six meetings remaining, Piastri leads Norris by twenty-two points, there is what each driver perceives as fair and at what point their opinion may diverge from the team's stance. That is when their friendly rapport between the two could eventually – become a little bit more Senna-Prost.

“It will reach a point where minor points count,” commented Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff after Singapore. “Then calculations will begin and back-calculate and I guess the elbows are going to come out a bit more. That's when it begins to get interesting.”

Audience expectations and championship implications

For spectators, in what is a two-horse race, increased excitement will probably be welcomed in the form of an on-track confrontation instead of a spreadsheet-based arbitration of circumstances. Especially since in Formula One the alternative perception from these events isn't very inspiring.

Honestly speaking, McLaren are making the correct decisions for their interests and it has paid off. They clinched their tenth team championship at Marina Bay (though a great achievement overshadowed by the controversy from their drivers' clash) and in Andrea Stella as team principal they possess a moral and upright commander who genuinely wants to do the right thing.

Racing purity versus squad control

Yet having drivers competing for the title appealing to the team for resolutions appears unsightly. Their competition should be decided through racing. Luck and destiny will have roles, yet preferable to allow them simply go at it and observe outcomes naturally, than the impression 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 with every occurrence it risks potentially making a difference that could be critical. Already, after the team made their drivers swap places in Italy because Norris had endured a slow pit stop and Piastri feeling he was treated unfairly with the strategy call in Budapest, where Norris triumphed, the spectre of a fear about bias 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 felt the team had acted correctly toward both racers, Piastri said that they did, but noted it's a developing process.

“We've had several challenging moments and we discussed various aspects,” he said after Singapore. “However finally it's educational 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.