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McLaren and F1 would benefit from anything decisive in the championship battle between Lando Norris & Piastri getting resolved through on-track action and without resorting to the pit wall with the championship finale begins this weekend at COTA on Friday.

Singapore Grand Prix aftermath 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 of the historical context of his riposte to his aggrieved teammate during the previous race weekend. In a fiercely contested championship duel with the Australian, his reference to one of Ayrton Senna’s well-known quotes did not go unnoticed but the incident that provoked his comment was of an entirely different nature from incidents characterizing Senna's great rivalries.

“If you fault me for simply attempting on the inside through an opening then you don't belong in F1,” Norris said regarding his first-lap move to overtake that led to the cars colliding.

His comment seemed to echo the Brazilian legend's “If you no longer go for a gap which is there you are no longer a true racer” defence he provided to the racing knight after he ploughed into the French champion in Japan in 1990, ensuring he took the title.

Similar spirit but different circumstances

Although the attitude is similar, the wording is where the similarities end. Senna later admitted he never intended of letting Prost beat him at turn one whereas Norris did try to make his pass cleanly at the Marina Bay circuit. Indeed, his maneuver was legitimate which received no penalty even with the glancing blow he had with his McLaren teammate during the pass. That itself was a result of him touching the car driven by Verstappen ahead of him.

Piastri reacted furiously and, notably, instantly stated that Norris gaining the place was “unfair”; suggesting that the two teammates clashing was verboten under McLaren’s rules of engagement and Norris should be instructed to give back the position he gained. McLaren did not do so, yet it demonstrated that in any cases of contention, both will promptly appeal the squad to step in in their favor.

Squad management and fairness under scrutiny

This is part and parcel of McLaren’s laudable efforts to allow their racers compete one another and strive to maintain strict fairness. Aside from tying some torturous knots in setting precedents about what defines fair or unfair – under these conditions, now covers bad luck, strategy and racing incidents like in Marina Bay – there remains the issue regarding opinions.

Most crucially for the championship, six races left, Piastri leads Norris by twenty-two points, each racer's view exists on fairness and when their opinion may diverge from the team's stance. That is when the amicable relationship between the two may – finally – turn somewhat into Senna-Prost.

“It will reach a point where minor points count,” commented Mercedes boss Toto Wolff post-race. “Then they’ll start to calculate and re-calculations and I suppose aggression will increase a bit more. That's when it begins to become thrilling.”

Viewer desires and championship implications

For the audience, during this dual battle, increased excitement will likely be appreciated in the form of an on-track confrontation instead of a spreadsheet-based arbitration regarding incidents. Not least because in Formula One the other impression from all this isn't very inspiring.

To be fair, McLaren are making appropriate choices for themselves with successful results. They secured their 10th constructors’ title in Singapore (albeit a brilliant success overshadowed by the controversy from the Norris-Piastri moment) and in Andrea Stella as squad leader they possess a moral and upright commander who truly aims to act correctly.

Sporting integrity versus squad control

However, with racers in a championship fight looking to the pitwall for resolutions is unedifying. Their contest ought to be determined on track. Luck and destiny will have roles, but better to let them simply go at it and observe outcomes naturally, than the impression that every disputed moment will be pored over by the team to ascertain whether intervention is needed and subsequently resolved later in private.

The scrutiny will intensify and each time it happens it risks possibly affecting outcomes which might prove decisive. Already, following the team's decision their drivers swap places at Monza because Norris had endured a delayed stop and Piastri believing he had been hard done by regarding tactics at Hungary, where Norris won, the shadow of concern of favouritism also emerges.

Team perspective and future challenges

Nobody desires to witness a championship constantly disputed over perceived that fairness attempts were unequal. Questioned whether he believed the squad had managed to do right toward both racers, Piastri responded he believed they had, but mentioned it's a developing process.

“There’s been some challenging moments and we’ve spoken about a number of things,” he said post-race. “But ultimately it's educational with the whole team.”

Six races stay. The team has minimal room for error for last-minute adjustments, so it may be better to just stop analyzing and withdraw from the conflict.