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McLaren along with F1 would benefit from anything decisive during this title fight between Lando Norris & Piastri getting resolved through on-track action and without reference to the pit wall with the championship finale kicks off this weekend at Circuit of the Americas on Friday.

Singapore Grand Prix fallout leads to team tensions

With the Singapore Grand Prix’s doubtless extensive and stressful debriefs concluded, the Woking-based squad is aiming for a reset. The British driver was likely more than aware of the historical context regarding his retort to his aggrieved teammate at the last grand prix weekend. During an intense championship duel with the Australian, his reference to a famous Senna well-known quotes was lost on no one but the incident which triggered his statement was of an entirely different nature from incidents characterizing Senna's great rivalries.

“Should you criticize me for just going an inside move through an opening then you don't belong in Formula One,” stated Norris of his opening-lap attempt to overtake which resulted in their vehicles making contact.

His comment appeared to paraphrase Senna’s “Should you stop attempting for a gap which is there you are no longer a true racer” defence he gave to the racing knight following his collision with Alain Prost at Suzuka back in 1990, ensuring he took the title.

Similar spirit but different circumstances

While the spirit is similar, the phrasing marks where parallels stop. Senna later admitted he never intended to allow Prost to defeat him through the first corner while Norris did try to execute a clean overtake 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. This incident stemmed from him touching the Red Bull driven by Verstappen ahead of him.

Piastri reacted furiously and, notably, instantly stated that Norris gaining the place was “unfair”; the implication being their collision was verboten by team protocols of engagement and Norris should be instructed to return the position he gained. McLaren did not do so, but it was indicative that in any cases between them, each would quickly ask the squad to step in on his behalf.

Squad management and impartiality under scrutiny

This is part and parcel from McLaren's commendable approach to allow their racers compete against each other and to try to be as scrupulously fair. Quite apart from tying some torturous knots in setting precedents over what constitutes fair or unfair – which, under these auspices, now includes bad luck, tactical calls and on-track occurrences like in Marina Bay – there remains the issue of perception.

Most crucially for the championship, six races left, Piastri leads Norris by 22 points, each racer's view exists on fairness and when their perspectives might split from the team's stance. Which is when the amicable relationship between the two may – finally – turn somewhat into Senna-Prost.

“It’s going to come to a situation where a few points will matter,” commented Mercedes boss Wolff after Singapore. “Then they’ll start to calculate and re-calculations and I suppose the elbows are going to come out further. That’s when it starts to become thrilling.”

Audience expectations and championship implications

For spectators, during this dual battle, increased excitement will likely be appreciated in the form of an on-track confrontation instead of a data-driven decision regarding incidents. Not least because for F1 the other impression from these events is not particularly rousing.

Honestly speaking, McLaren are making the correct decisions for themselves with successful results. They secured their tenth team championship at Marina Bay (though a great achievement diminished by the fuss prompted by the Norris-Piastri moment) and in Andrea Stella as team principal they have an ethical and upright commander who genuinely wants to act correctly.

Sporting integrity versus team management

However, with racers competing for the title appealing to the team to decide matters appears unsightly. Their competition should be decided through racing. Chance and fate will play their part, yet preferable to allow them simply go at it and observe outcomes naturally, than the impression that every disputed moment will be analyzed intensely by the squad to determine if intervention is needed and then cleared up afterwards behind closed doors.

The examination will intensify with every occurrence it risks potentially making a difference that could be critical. Already, after the team made for position swaps at Monza due to Norris experiencing a slow pit stop and Piastri feeling he had been hard done by with the strategy call in Budapest, where Norris won, the shadow of concern about bias also looms.

Team perspective and upcoming tests

No one wants to see a title endlessly debated over perceived that the efforts to be fair were unequal. Questioned whether he believed the squad had managed to do right by both drivers, Piastri responded that they did, but noted it's a developing process.

“We've had several difficult situations and we discussed a number of things,” he stated after Singapore. “However finally it’s a learning process with the whole team.”

Six meetings remain. The team has minimal room for error for last-minute adjustments, thus perhaps wiser now to simply stop analyzing and step back from the fray.