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McLaren and Formula One would benefit from any conclusive outcome in the championship battle involving Lando Norris and Piastri getting resolved through on-track action rather than without resorting to the pit wall with the title run-in kicks off this weekend at COTA on Friday.

Marina Bay race fallout leads to internal strain

With the Singapore Grand Prix’s undoubtedly thorough and tense post-race analyses dealt with, McLaren is aiming for a fresh start. The British driver was almost certainly more than aware about the historical parallels of his riposte to his aggrieved teammate at the last grand prix weekend. In a fiercely contested title fight against Piastri, his reference to one of Ayrton Senna’s well-known quotes did not go unnoticed yet the occurrence that provoked his comment differed completely to those that defined the Brazilian’s great rivalries.

“Should you criticize me for just going on the inside through an opening then you should not be in F1,” Norris said of his opening-lap attempt to pass which resulted in their vehicles making contact.

His comment appeared to paraphrase Senna’s “If you no longer go an available gap that exists then you cease to be a true racer” justification he provided to Sir Jackie Stewart following his collision with the French champion in Japan in 1990, ensuring he took the championship.

Similar spirit but different circumstances

While the spirit is similar, the wording is where the similarities end. The late champion confessed he never intended to allow Prost to defeat him at turn one while Norris did try to make his pass cleanly at the Marina Bay circuit. In fact, his maneuver was legitimate which received no penalty despite the minor contact he had with his team colleague during the pass. This incident stemmed from him touching the car driven by Verstappen in front of him.

The Australian responded angrily and, notably, 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 return the position he gained. McLaren did not do so, but it was indicative that in any cases of contention, each would quickly ask the squad to step in in their favor.

Team dynamics and impartiality being examined

This is part and parcel from McLaren's commendable approach to let their drivers race against each other and strive to maintain strict fairness. Aside from creating complex dilemmas when establishing rules over what constitutes just or unjust – under these conditions, now covers bad luck, strategy and racing incidents such as in Singapore – there is the question of perception.

Of most import to the title race, six races left, Piastri is ahead of Norris by twenty-two points, each racer's view exists as fair and when their opinion may diverge from the team's stance. Which is when their friendly rapport among them could eventually – become a little bit more the iconic rivalry.

“It will reach to a situation where minor points count,” said Mercedes team principal Wolff post-race. “Then they’ll start to calculate and re-calculations and I guess aggression will increase further. That's when it begins to get interesting.”

Viewer desires and championship implications

For the audience, during this dual battle, increased excitement will probably be welcomed as a track duel rather than a data-driven decision of circumstances. Especially since for F1 the alternative perception from these events is not particularly rousing.

Honestly speaking, McLaren is taking the correct decisions for their interests and it has paid off. They clinched their 10th constructors’ title at Marina Bay (albeit a brilliant success diminished by the fuss prompted by the Norris-Piastri moment) and in Andrea Stella as team principal they possess a moral and principled leader who truly aims to act correctly.

Racing purity versus team management

Yet having drivers in a championship fight looking to the pitwall for resolutions appears unsightly. Their contest should be decided through racing. Luck and destiny will play their part, but better to let them just battle freely and see how fortune falls, rather than the sense that every disputed moment will be pored over by the team to determine if they need to intervene and subsequently resolved afterwards behind closed doors.

The examination will intensify with every occurrence it risks potentially making a difference that could be critical. Previously, after the team made their drivers swap places in Italy because Norris had endured a delayed stop and Piastri feeling he had been hard done by regarding tactics in Budapest, where Norris won, the shadow of concern of favouritism also emerges.

Squad viewpoint and upcoming tests

Nobody desires to witness a championship constantly disputed over perceived that the efforts to be fair had not been balanced. Questioned whether he felt the team had managed to do right by both drivers, Piastri said that they did, but noted it's a developing process.

“There’s been some challenging moments and we’ve spoken about various aspects,” he stated after Singapore. “But ultimately it's educational for the entire squad.”

Six races stay. The team has minimal wriggle room left to do their cramming, thus perhaps wiser to just close the books and step back from the fray.