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The British racing team along with F1 could do with any conclusive outcome during this title fight between Lando Norris & Piastri being decided through on-track action and without resorting to the pit wall with the championship finale kicks off this weekend at COTA on Friday.

Singapore Grand Prix aftermath prompts team tensions

With the Marina Bay event’s undoubtedly thorough and tense post-race analyses dealt with, the Woking-based squad will be hoping for a reset. Norris was almost certainly more than aware of the historical context regarding his retort toward his upset colleague at the last race weekend. In a fiercely contested championship duel with the Australian, that Norris invoked one of Ayrton Senna’s most famous sentiments did not go unnoticed yet the occurrence which triggered his statement differed completely to those that defined the Brazilian’s great rivalries.

“If you fault me for simply attempting on the inside through an opening then you should not be in F1,” Norris said regarding his first-lap move to pass which resulted in their vehicles making contact.

His comment appeared to paraphrase the Brazilian legend's “Should you stop attempting an available gap which is there you are no longer a racing driver” justification he provided to Sir Jackie Stewart after he ploughed into the French champion in Japan back in 1990, securing him the championship.

Similar spirit yet distinct situations

Although the attitude is similar, the wording is where the similarities end. Senna later admitted he never intended to allow Prost beat him at turn one while Norris attempted to make his pass cleanly in Singapore. Indeed, his maneuver was legitimate that went unpenalised despite the minor contact he had with his McLaren teammate during the pass. That itself was a result of him clipping the Red Bull driven by Verstappen ahead of him.

The Australian responded angrily and, significantly, instantly stated that Norris's position gain was “unfair”; the implication being the two teammates clashing was forbidden under McLaren’s rules for racing and Norris should be instructed to give back the position he gained. The team refused, yet it demonstrated that in any cases between them, each would quickly ask the squad to intervene on his behalf.

Squad management and impartiality being examined

This is part and parcel from McLaren's commendable approach to allow their racers compete one another and strive to maintain strict fairness. Aside from tying some torturous knots in setting precedents over what constitutes just or unjust – under these conditions, now covers bad luck, strategy and racing incidents like in Marina Bay – there remains the issue of perception.

Most crucially for the championship, six races left, Piastri is ahead of Norris by twenty-two points, there is what each driver perceives on fairness and at what point their opinion may diverge with that of the McLaren pitwall. That is when the amicable relationship between the two may – finally – turn somewhat into the iconic rivalry.

“It will reach a point where a few points will matter,” said Mercedes team principal Wolff after Singapore. “Then calculations will begin and back-calculate and I suppose the elbows are going to come out a bit more. That's when it begins to become thrilling.”

Viewer desires and championship implications

For the audience, in what is a two-horse race, increased excitement will likely be appreciated as an on-track confrontation rather than a data-driven decision regarding incidents. Especially since for F1 the alternative perception from these events is not particularly rousing.

To be fair, McLaren are making the correct decisions for their interests and it has paid off. They clinched their tenth team championship in Singapore (though a great achievement overshadowed by the fuss prompted by the Norris-Piastri moment) and in Andrea Stella as squad leader they have an ethical and principled leader who genuinely wants to act correctly.

Sporting integrity against squad control

However, with racers competing for the title looking to the pitwall for resolutions appears unsightly. Their contest ought to be determined through racing. Luck and destiny will play their part, yet preferable to allow them just battle freely and see how fortune falls, than the impression that every disputed moment will be analyzed intensely by the team to ascertain whether they need to intervene and then cleared up afterwards behind closed doors.

The examination will intensify and each time it happens it is in danger of potentially making a difference that could be critical. Previously, following the team's decision their drivers swap places at Monza because Norris had endured a delayed stop and Piastri feeling he had been hard done by regarding tactics in Budapest, where Norris triumphed, the spectre of a fear about bias also looms.

Squad viewpoint and future challenges

No one wants 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 managed to do right by both drivers, Piastri responded he believed they had, but noted that it was an ever-evolving approach.

“There’s been some difficult situations and we’ve spoken about various aspects,” he stated post-race. “But ultimately it's educational for the entire squad.”

Six races stay. McLaren have little wriggle room left to do their cramming, so it may be better now to simply stop analyzing and withdraw from the conflict.