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The British racing team along with F1 would benefit from any conclusive outcome in the title fight between Lando Norris & Piastri being decided through on-track action rather than without reference to the pit wall as the title run-in kicks off at the COTA starting Friday.

Marina Bay race aftermath prompts internal strain

After the Singapore Grand Prix’s undoubtedly thorough and tense debriefs concluded, the Woking-based squad is aiming for a fresh start. Norris was almost certainly more than aware of the historical context of his riposte to his aggrieved teammate during the previous grand prix weekend. In a fiercely contested title fight against Piastri, that Norris invoked a famous Senna well-known quotes did not go unnoticed but the incident which triggered his statement differed completely to those that defined Senna's iconic battles.

“If you fault 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 which resulted in the cars colliding.

His comment appeared to paraphrase Senna’s “If you no longer go for a gap which is there you are no longer a true racer” defence he provided to Sir Jackie Stewart after he ploughed into the French champion at Suzuka back in 1990, ensuring he took the championship.

Similar spirit yet distinct situations

Although the attitude remains comparable, the phrasing marks where parallels stop. The late champion confessed he never intended to allow Prost beat him through the first corner while Norris attempted to make his pass cleanly at the Marina Bay circuit. Indeed, 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 Red Bull of Max Verstappen ahead of him.

Piastri reacted furiously and, notably, instantly stated that Norris gaining the place seemed unjust; suggesting that their collision was verboten by team protocols of engagement and Norris should be instructed to return the position he gained. The team refused, yet it demonstrated that in any cases between them, each would quickly ask to the team to step in in their favor.

Squad management and fairness being examined

This is part and parcel of McLaren’s laudable efforts to allow their racers compete one another and to try to be as scrupulously fair. Aside from tying some torturous knots in setting precedents over what constitutes fair or unfair – which, under these auspices, now covers misfortune, tactical calls and on-track occurrences like in Marina Bay – there remains the issue regarding opinions.

Of most import to the title race, six races left, Piastri leads Norris by twenty-two points, there is what each driver perceives on fairness and when their opinion may diverge with that of the McLaren pitwall. That is when their friendly rapport among them may – finally – become a little bit more the iconic rivalry.

“It’s going to come a point where minor points count,” said Mercedes boss Wolff post-race. “Then calculations will begin and re-calculations and I suppose the elbows are going to come out a bit more. That’s when it starts to become thrilling.”

Audience expectations and championship implications

For the audience, in what is a two-horse race, increased excitement will likely be appreciated in the form of an on-track confrontation rather than 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 appropriate choices for themselves and it has paid off. They clinched their tenth team championship in Singapore (albeit a brilliant success diminished by the controversy from the Norris-Piastri moment) and in Andrea Stella as team principal they possess a moral and upright commander who truly aims to act correctly.

Sporting integrity versus squad control

Yet having drivers competing for the title appealing to the team to decide matters appears unsightly. Their contest should be decided on track. Luck and destiny will have roles, yet preferable to allow 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 scrutiny will intensify with every occurrence it is in danger of potentially making a difference which might prove decisive. Previously, following the team's decision their drivers swap places in Italy because Norris had endured a slow pit 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 endlessly debated over perceived that the efforts to be fair were unequal. When asked if he believed the squad had managed to do right by both drivers, Piastri said that they did, but noted it's a developing process.

“There’s been some difficult situations and we discussed various aspects,” 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 to do their cramming, so it may be better to just close the books and step back from the fray.