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The British racing team and Formula One would benefit from any conclusive outcome in the championship battle involving Norris & Piastri getting resolved on the track and without reference to team orders with the championship finale begins this weekend at Circuit of the Americas starting Friday.

Singapore Grand Prix aftermath prompts internal strain

After the Singapore Grand Prix’s undoubtedly thorough and tense debriefs concluded, the Woking-based squad will be hoping for a reset. Norris was almost certainly fully conscious about the historical parallels of his riposte toward his upset colleague at the last race weekend. During an intense title fight against Piastri, that Norris invoked one of Ayrton Senna’s most famous sentiments did not go unnoticed but the incident that provoked his comment differed completely from incidents characterizing Senna's great rivalries.

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

The remark seemed to echo Senna’s “If you no longer go for a gap that exists then you cease to be a true racer” justification he gave to Sir Jackie Stewart after he ploughed into Alain Prost at Suzuka back in 1990, securing him the championship.

Similar spirit yet distinct situations

While the spirit is similar, the wording marks where parallels stop. The late champion confessed he never intended of letting Prost to defeat him through the first corner whereas Norris attempted to make his pass cleanly at the Marina Bay circuit. In fact, his maneuver was legitimate that went unpenalised despite the minor contact he had with his McLaren teammate during the pass. That itself stemmed from him touching the Red Bull of Max Verstappen in front of him.

Piastri reacted furiously and, significantly, instantly stated that Norris gaining the place was “unfair”; the implication being their collision was forbidden by team protocols of engagement and Norris should be instructed to give back the position he gained. McLaren did not do so, but it was indicative that during disputes of contention, both will promptly appeal to the team to intervene in their favor.

Squad management and fairness under scrutiny

This comes naturally from McLaren's commendable approach to let their drivers race one another and strive to be as scrupulously fair. Aside from tying some torturous knots when establishing rules about what defines fair or unfair – which, under these auspices, now includes misfortune, tactical calls and racing incidents such as in Singapore – there is the question of perception.

Most crucially to the title race, six races left, Piastri leads Norris by 22 points, each racer's view exists on fairness and at what point their opinion may diverge with that of the McLaren pitwall. That is when their friendly rapport 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 team principal Wolff after Singapore. “Then they’ll start to calculate and back-calculate and I suppose the elbows are going to come out a bit more. That’s when it starts to get interesting.”

Viewer desires and championship implications

For spectators, in what is a two-horse race, getting interesting will likely be appreciated in the form of a track duel rather than a spreadsheet-based arbitration regarding incidents. Especially since for F1 the other impression from all this is not particularly rousing.

To be fair, McLaren is taking appropriate choices for themselves with successful results. They secured their 10th constructors’ title at Marina Bay (though a great achievement diminished by the fuss prompted by their drivers' clash) and with Stella as team principal they have an ethical and principled leader who genuinely wants to do the right thing.

Sporting integrity against squad control

Yet having drivers in a championship fight appealing to the team for resolutions appears unsightly. Their competition should be decided on track. Chance and fate will have roles, 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 squad to ascertain whether intervention is needed and subsequently resolved later in private.

The examination will intensify and each time it happens it risks possibly affecting outcomes that could be critical. Previously, after the team made their drivers swap places at Monza due to Norris experiencing a slow pit stop and Piastri believing he had been hard done by regarding tactics in Budapest, where Norris won, the spectre of a fear of favouritism also looms.

Squad viewpoint and upcoming tests

No one wants to see a title endlessly debated because it may be considered that the efforts to be fair were unequal. Questioned whether he felt the team had acted correctly by both drivers, Piastri responded that they did, but mentioned that it was an ever-evolving approach.

“We've had several challenging moments and we discussed a number of things,” he said after Singapore. “However finally it’s a learning process with the whole team.”

Six meetings remain. The team has minimal wriggle room left for last-minute adjustments, so it may be better to just close the books and withdraw from the conflict.