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McLaren along with Formula One would benefit from anything decisive during this title fight involving Norris and Piastri getting resolved on the track and without reference to team orders with the championship finale begins at the Circuit of the Americas on Friday.

Singapore Grand Prix aftermath leads to internal strain

With the Marina Bay event’s doubtless extensive and tense debriefs dealt with, the Woking-based squad is aiming for a reset. Norris was likely more than aware of the historical context of his riposte toward his upset colleague at the last grand prix weekend. In a fiercely contested championship duel against Piastri, his reference to a famous Senna well-known quotes was lost on no one yet the occurrence which triggered his statement differed completely to those that defined the Brazilian’s iconic battles.

“Should you criticize me for simply attempting an inside move through an opening then you don't belong in F1,” stated Norris regarding his first-lap move to pass that led to their vehicles making contact.

The remark seemed to echo Senna’s “If you no longer go for a gap that exists you are no longer a racing driver” defence he gave to Sir Jackie Stewart after he ploughed into the French champion in Japan in 1990, ensuring he took the title.

Parallel mindset but different circumstances

While the spirit is similar, the wording marks where parallels stop. Senna later admitted he never intended to allow Prost beat him at turn one whereas Norris attempted to make his pass cleanly in Singapore. In fact, it was a perfectly valid effort that went unpenalised despite the minor contact he had with his team colleague during the pass. That itself stemmed from him clipping the car of Max Verstappen in front of him.

Piastri reacted furiously and, significantly, immediately declared that Norris's position gain was “unfair”; suggesting that their collision was verboten by team protocols of engagement and Norris should be instructed to give back the place he had made. McLaren did not do so, but it was indicative that in any cases of contention, each would quickly ask the squad to intervene in their favor.

Team dynamics and impartiality under scrutiny

This is part and parcel of McLaren’s laudable efforts to allow their racers compete against each other and to try to be as scrupulously fair. Quite apart from creating complex dilemmas when establishing rules over what constitutes just or unjust – which, under these auspices, now includes misfortune, strategy and on-track occurrences like in Marina Bay – there remains the issue of perception.

Of most import to the title race, with six meetings remaining, Piastri is ahead of 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 between the two could eventually – turn somewhat into the iconic rivalry.

“It’s going to come a point where a few points will matter,” said Mercedes boss Toto Wolff post-race. “Then calculations will begin and re-calculations and I guess aggression will increase a bit more. That’s when it starts to become thrilling.”

Audience expectations and title consequences

For spectators, during this dual battle, getting interesting will likely be appreciated in the form of a track duel 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 themselves and it has paid off. They secured their 10th constructors’ title in Singapore (albeit a brilliant success overshadowed by the controversy from their drivers' clash) and in Andrea Stella as squad leader they have an ethical and principled leader who genuinely wants to do the right thing.

Racing purity versus squad control

However, with racers competing for the title looking to the pitwall for resolutions appears unsightly. Their contest should be decided on track. Chance and fate will play their part, but better to let them simply go at it and see how fortune falls, rather than the sense that every disputed moment will be analyzed intensely by the team to determine if intervention is needed and then cleared up later in private.

The scrutiny will intensify with every occurrence it risks potentially making a difference which might prove decisive. Previously, after the team made for position swaps in Italy because Norris had endured a delayed stop and Piastri feeling he had been hard done by with the strategy call at Hungary, where Norris triumphed, the shadow of concern about bias also emerges.

Team perspective and upcoming tests

Nobody desires to witness a championship constantly disputed because it may be considered that fairness attempts had not been balanced. When asked if he felt the team had acted correctly toward both racers, Piastri responded he believed they had, but mentioned that it was an ever-evolving approach.

“We've had several challenging moments and we’ve spoken about a number of things,” he stated after Singapore. “However finally it’s a learning process for the entire squad.”

Six meetings remain. The team has minimal room for error for last-minute adjustments, so it may be better now to simply stop analyzing and withdraw from the fray.