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The British racing team along with Formula One would benefit from any conclusive outcome during this championship battle between Norris & Piastri being decided through on-track action and without reference to the pit wall with the championship finale kicks off this weekend at Circuit of the Americas starting Friday.

Marina Bay race fallout prompts internal strain

With the Singapore Grand Prix’s doubtless extensive and stressful debriefs dealt with, McLaren is aiming for a fresh start. Norris was likely more than aware of the historical context regarding his retort to his aggrieved teammate at the last race weekend. In a fiercely contested title fight against Piastri, his reference to a famous Senna most famous sentiments was lost on no one yet the occurrence that provoked his comment differed completely from incidents characterizing Senna's iconic battles.

“If you fault me for just going an inside move of a big gap then you don't belong in F1,” stated Norris of his opening-lap attempt to overtake which resulted in their vehicles making contact.

The remark appeared to paraphrase the Brazilian legend's “If you no longer go for a gap that exists you are no longer a racing driver” justification he gave to the racing knight after he ploughed into the French champion in Japan in 1990, securing him the title.

Similar spirit yet distinct situations

Although the attitude remains comparable, the phrasing is where the similarities end. Senna later admitted he had no intent of letting Prost beat him through the first corner whereas Norris attempted to make his pass cleanly in Singapore. Indeed, his maneuver was legitimate which received no penalty despite the minor contact he had with his McLaren teammate during the pass. That itself was a result of him touching the car driven by Verstappen in front of him.

Piastri reacted furiously and, significantly, immediately declared that Norris's position gain seemed unjust; the implication being the two teammates clashing was verboten by team protocols for racing and Norris ought to be told to give back the place he had made. 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 fairness being examined

This comes naturally from McLaren's commendable approach to let their drivers race one another and strive to maintain strict fairness. Quite apart from tying some torturous knots when establishing rules over what constitutes fair or unfair – under these conditions, now includes misfortune, strategy and on-track occurrences like in Marina Bay – there is the question regarding opinions.

Of most import for the championship, with six meetings remaining, Piastri is ahead of Norris by twenty-two points, each racer's view exists on fairness and at what point their perspectives might split with that of the McLaren pitwall. That is when the amicable relationship between the two may – finally – turn somewhat into the iconic rivalry.

“It’s going to come to a situation 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 get interesting.”

Viewer desires and title consequences

For spectators, during this dual battle, increased excitement will likely be appreciated in the form of an on-track confrontation instead of a spreadsheet-based arbitration of circumstances. Not least because in Formula One the alternative perception from all this is not particularly rousing.

To be fair, McLaren is taking the correct decisions for themselves and it has paid off. They secured their 10th constructors’ title at Marina Bay (albeit a brilliant success overshadowed by the controversy from their drivers' clash) and with Stella as squad leader they possess a moral and upright commander who truly aims to act correctly.

Racing purity against squad control

However, with racers in a championship fight looking to the pitwall to decide matters appears unsightly. Their competition ought to be determined through racing. Luck and destiny will play their part, yet preferable to allow them simply go at it and see how fortune falls, rather than the sense that each contentious incident will be analyzed intensely by the squad to determine if intervention is needed and subsequently resolved later in private.

The examination will increase and each time it happens it risks potentially making a difference which might prove decisive. Previously, after the team made their drivers swap places in Italy due to Norris experiencing a delayed stop and Piastri believing he had been hard done by with the strategy call at Hungary, where Norris won, the spectre of a fear about bias also looms.

Squad viewpoint and future challenges

No one wants to see a title endlessly debated over perceived that the efforts to be fair had not been balanced. When asked if he believed the squad had managed to do right toward both racers, Piastri responded he believed they had, but noted that it was an ever-evolving approach.

“We've had several difficult situations and we discussed various aspects,” he said after Singapore. “But ultimately it’s a learning process with the whole team.”

Six meetings remain. McLaren have little room for error to do their cramming, thus perhaps wiser to just stop analyzing and withdraw from the conflict.