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McLaren and F1 would benefit from anything decisive in the championship battle involving Lando Norris and Piastri being decided on the track and without resorting to team orders with the title run-in begins this weekend at COTA starting Friday.

Singapore Grand Prix aftermath prompts team tensions

After the Singapore Grand Prix’s undoubtedly thorough and tense debriefs concluded, McLaren will be hoping for a fresh start. Norris was likely fully conscious about the historical parallels regarding his retort toward his upset colleague during the previous race weekend. During an intense title fight against Piastri, his reference to one of Ayrton Senna’s well-known quotes did not go unnoticed yet the occurrence which triggered his statement was of an entirely different nature from incidents characterizing Senna's great rivalries.

“Should you criticize me for simply attempting an inside move through an opening then you don't belong in F1,” stated Norris of his opening-lap attempt to pass which resulted in the cars colliding.

His comment seemed to echo the Brazilian legend's “Should you stop attempting for a gap that exists you are no longer a racing driver” defence he provided to Sir Jackie Stewart after he ploughed into the French champion in Japan back in 1990, securing him the championship.

Parallel mindset but different circumstances

While the spirit remains comparable, the wording marks where parallels stop. The late champion confessed he never intended of letting Prost to defeat him at turn one while Norris did try to make his pass cleanly in Singapore. Indeed, it was a perfectly valid effort which received no penalty even with the glancing blow he had with his McLaren teammate as he went through. This incident was a result of 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 their collision was forbidden under McLaren’s rules of engagement and Norris ought to be told to return the position he gained. McLaren did not do so, but it was indicative that in any cases between them, both will promptly appeal the squad to step in on his behalf.

Team dynamics and impartiality being examined

This comes naturally of McLaren’s laudable efforts to let their drivers race one another and to try to maintain strict fairness. Aside from creating complex dilemmas when establishing rules about what defines fair or unfair – which, under these auspices, now covers misfortune, strategy and racing incidents such as in Singapore – there remains the issue of perception.

Most crucially for the championship, six races left, Piastri leads Norris by twenty-two points, each racer's view exists on fairness and at what point their opinion may diverge with that of the McLaren pitwall. Which is when the amicable relationship between the two may – finally – become a little bit more Senna-Prost.

“It’s going to come to a situation where minor points count,” commented Mercedes boss Wolff post-race. “Then calculations will begin and back-calculate and I guess aggression will increase further. That’s when it starts to become thrilling.”

Viewer desires and title consequences

For the audience, during this dual battle, getting interesting will probably be welcomed as an on-track confrontation instead of a data-driven decision regarding incidents. Not least because for F1 the other impression from all this is not particularly rousing.

To be fair, McLaren is taking the correct decisions for their interests with successful results. They clinched their 10th constructors’ title in Singapore (though a great achievement overshadowed by the fuss prompted by the Norris-Piastri moment) and with Stella as team principal they have an ethical and upright commander who genuinely wants to do the right thing.

Sporting integrity against squad control

However, with racers in a championship fight looking to the pitwall to decide matters appears unsightly. Their competition ought to be determined on track. Chance and fate will play their part, yet preferable to allow them simply go at it and see how fortune falls, than the impression that each contentious incident will be analyzed intensely by the team to determine if intervention is needed and then cleared up later in private.

The scrutiny will increase and each time it happens it risks potentially making a difference that could be critical. Already, after the team made their drivers swap places at Monza because Norris had endured a delayed stop and Piastri feeling he had been hard done by with the strategy call in Budapest, where Norris triumphed, the spectre of a fear of favouritism also looms.

Team perspective and upcoming tests

No one wants to see a title endlessly debated over perceived that fairness attempts had not been balanced. When asked if he believed the squad had acted correctly toward both racers, Piastri said he believed they had, but noted that it was an ever-evolving approach.

“There’s been some challenging moments and we discussed a number of things,” he said after Singapore. “However finally it's educational for the entire squad.”

Six races stay. The team has minimal room for error to do their cramming, so it may be better to just stop analyzing and step back from the fray.