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McLaren and F1 would benefit from any conclusive outcome during this championship battle between Lando Norris & Oscar Piastri being decided on the track and without reference to team orders as the title run-in begins at the Circuit of the Americas on Friday.

Marina Bay race aftermath prompts team tensions

After the Singapore Grand Prix’s doubtless extensive and tense debriefs concluded, the Woking-based squad is aiming for a reset. The British driver was likely more than aware of the historical context of his riposte to his aggrieved teammate during the previous grand prix weekend. During an intense championship duel against Piastri, that Norris invoked a famous Senna most famous sentiments was lost on no one yet the occurrence that provoked his comment was of an entirely different nature to those that defined the Brazilian’s great rivalries.

“If you fault me for simply attempting on the inside of a big gap then you don't belong in Formula One,” Norris said regarding his first-lap move to overtake which resulted in their vehicles making contact.

The remark appeared to paraphrase Senna’s “Should you stop attempting an available gap which is there you are no longer a racing driver” defence he provided to Sir Jackie Stewart after he ploughed into Alain Prost in Japan back in 1990, ensuring he took the championship.

Similar spirit yet distinct situations

Although the attitude is similar, the wording is where the similarities end. The late champion confessed he never intended to allow Prost beat him through the first corner while Norris did try to make his pass cleanly at the Marina Bay circuit. Indeed, his maneuver was legitimate that went unpenalised despite the minor contact he had with his team colleague during the pass. That itself was a result of him touching the car driven by Verstappen ahead of him.

Piastri reacted furiously and, significantly, immediately declared that Norris gaining the place seemed unjust; suggesting that their collision was verboten by team protocols for racing and Norris should be instructed to give back the position he gained. The team refused, yet it demonstrated that in any cases of contention, each would quickly ask to the team to step in in their favor.

Team dynamics and impartiality being examined

This comes naturally of McLaren’s laudable efforts to allow their racers compete against each other and to try to maintain strict fairness. Aside from tying some torturous knots in setting precedents over what constitutes just or unjust – which, under these auspices, now includes bad luck, strategy and on-track occurrences such as in Singapore – there remains the issue of perception.

Most crucially to the title race, with six meetings remaining, Piastri leads Norris by 22 points, each racer's view exists as fair and when their perspectives might split from the team's stance. That is when their friendly rapport between the two may – finally – turn somewhat into Senna-Prost.

“It will reach to a situation where a few points will matter,” said Mercedes boss Toto Wolff post-race. “Then they’ll start to calculate and re-calculations and I guess the elbows are going to come out further. That's when it begins to become thrilling.”

Viewer desires and title consequences

For spectators, in what is a two-horse race, increased excitement will likely be appreciated in the form of a track duel instead of a spreadsheet-based arbitration of circumstances. Not least because for F1 the other impression from these events is not particularly rousing.

To be fair, McLaren are making the correct decisions for their interests with successful results. They secured their 10th constructors’ title at Marina Bay (though a great achievement diminished by the controversy from the Norris-Piastri moment) and in Andrea Stella as team principal they possess a moral and upright commander who genuinely wants to do the right thing.

Sporting integrity versus squad control

However, with racers in a championship fight appealing to the team for resolutions is unedifying. Their competition ought to be determined on track. Chance and fate will play their part, but better to let them just battle freely and see how fortune falls, than the impression that each contentious incident will be analyzed intensely by the squad to determine if they need to intervene and then cleared up afterwards behind closed doors.

The examination will intensify and each time it happens it risks potentially making a difference which might prove decisive. Already, following the team's decision their drivers swap places at Monza due to Norris experiencing a slow pit stop and Piastri believing he had been hard done by regarding tactics in Budapest, where Norris won, the shadow of concern of favouritism also looms.

Squad viewpoint and future challenges

Nobody desires to see a title constantly disputed over perceived that fairness attempts had not been balanced. Questioned whether he believed the squad had acted correctly toward both racers, Piastri responded that they did, but noted it's a developing process.

“There’s been some challenging moments and we’ve spoken about a number of things,” he said after Singapore. “However finally it's educational for the entire squad.”

Six meetings remain. The team has minimal room for error for last-minute adjustments, thus perhaps wiser to just close the books and step back from the conflict.