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McLaren and F1 would benefit from any conclusive outcome during this championship battle involving Lando Norris & Piastri getting resolved on the track and without reference to team orders with the championship finale kicks off this weekend at COTA starting Friday.

Marina Bay race fallout leads to internal strain

After the Singapore Grand Prix’s doubtless extensive and stressful post-race analyses concluded, McLaren will be hoping for a reset. The British driver was likely fully conscious about the historical parallels of his riposte toward his upset colleague at the last race weekend. In a fiercely contested title fight with the Australian, that Norris invoked one of Ayrton Senna’s well-known quotes 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 great rivalries.

“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 overtake that led to their vehicles making contact.

His comment appeared to paraphrase Senna’s “If you no longer go for a gap that exists you are no longer a true racer” defence he provided to the racing knight following his collision with the French champion in Japan in 1990, securing him the title.

Similar spirit yet distinct situations

While the spirit remains comparable, the phrasing marks where parallels stop. Senna later admitted he had no intent to allow Prost to defeat him at turn one whereas Norris did try to make his pass cleanly at the Marina Bay circuit. Indeed, it was a perfectly valid effort 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 clipping the car of Max Verstappen ahead of him.

Piastri reacted furiously and, significantly, immediately declared that Norris's position gain seemed unjust; suggesting that the two teammates clashing was forbidden by team protocols of engagement and Norris ought to be told to return the position he gained. McLaren did not do so, but it was indicative that during disputes between them, each would quickly ask to the team to step in on his behalf.

Team dynamics and impartiality under scrutiny

This is part and parcel from McLaren's commendable approach to allow their racers compete against each other and strive to maintain strict fairness. Aside from creating complex dilemmas when establishing rules over what constitutes just or unjust – which, under these auspices, now includes bad luck, strategy and on-track occurrences such as in Singapore – there is the question regarding opinions.

Most crucially for the championship, six races left, Piastri leads Norris by 22 points, each racer's view exists as fair and at what point their opinion may diverge from the team's stance. Which is when the amicable relationship among them may – finally – become a little bit more the iconic rivalry.

“It’s going to come a point where minor points count,” commented Mercedes boss Toto Wolff post-race. “Then they’ll start to calculate and back-calculate and I guess the elbows are going to come out further. That’s when it starts to become thrilling.”

Audience expectations and championship implications

For the audience, during this dual battle, increased excitement will probably be welcomed as an on-track confrontation rather than a spreadsheet-based arbitration regarding incidents. Especially since for F1 the alternative perception from all this is not particularly rousing.

To be fair, McLaren are making appropriate choices for themselves with successful results. They clinched their 10th constructors’ title at Marina Bay (albeit a brilliant success overshadowed by the fuss prompted by the Norris-Piastri moment) and with Stella as team principal they have an ethical and principled leader who truly aims to act correctly.

Racing purity against squad control

Yet having drivers competing for the title appealing to the team for resolutions appears unsightly. Their contest should be decided on track. Luck and destiny will have roles, but better to let them just battle freely and observe outcomes naturally, than the impression that each contentious incident will be analyzed intensely by the team to determine if intervention is needed and then cleared up afterwards behind closed doors.

The scrutiny will intensify and each time it happens it is in danger of possibly affecting outcomes that could be critical. Already, following the team's decision their drivers swap places in Italy due to Norris experiencing a slow pit stop and Piastri believing he had been hard done by regarding tactics in Budapest, where Norris triumphed, the shadow of concern of favouritism also looms.

Squad viewpoint and upcoming tests

Nobody desires to see a title endlessly debated because it may be considered that the efforts to be fair were unequal. When asked if he believed the squad had acted correctly toward both racers, Piastri said that they did, but noted that it was an ever-evolving approach.

“We've had several difficult situations and we discussed various aspects,” he said post-race. “However finally it's educational for the entire squad.”

Six races stay. McLaren have little room for error for last-minute adjustments, thus perhaps wiser to just stop analyzing and withdraw from the conflict.