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The British racing team and F1 would benefit from any conclusive outcome during this title fight between Norris & Piastri getting resolved through on-track action rather than without reference to team orders as the championship finale begins at the COTA on Friday.

Singapore Grand Prix aftermath leads to team tensions

With the Marina Bay event’s undoubtedly thorough and stressful debriefs dealt with, the Woking-based squad will be hoping for a reset. Norris was almost certainly fully conscious of the historical context regarding his retort toward his upset colleague during the previous race weekend. During an intense championship duel against Piastri, that Norris invoked a famous Senna most famous sentiments did not go unnoticed but the incident that provoked his comment was of an entirely different nature from incidents characterizing the Brazilian’s iconic battles.

“Should you criticize me for simply attempting on the inside through an opening then you should not be in F1,” stated Norris of his opening-lap attempt to overtake that led to the cars colliding.

The remark seemed to echo the Brazilian legend's “If you no longer go for a gap that exists you are no longer a true racer” justification he gave to the racing knight after he ploughed into Alain Prost in Japan in 1990, ensuring he took the championship.

Parallel mindset but different circumstances

Although the attitude remains comparable, the wording is where the similarities end. Senna later admitted he had no intent of letting Prost to defeat him through the first corner while Norris attempted to execute a clean overtake in Singapore. In fact, his maneuver was legitimate that went unpenalised even with the glancing blow he made against his McLaren teammate as he went through. That itself stemmed from him clipping the car driven by Verstappen ahead of him.

The Australian responded angrily and, notably, instantly stated that Norris's position gain was “unfair”; the implication being their collision was forbidden under McLaren’s rules of engagement and Norris should be instructed to return the position he gained. McLaren did not do so, yet it demonstrated that during disputes between them, both will promptly appeal the squad to step in on his behalf.

Squad management and fairness under scrutiny

This comes naturally of McLaren’s laudable efforts to let their drivers race one another and strive to maintain strict fairness. Aside from tying some torturous knots in setting precedents about what defines fair or unfair – which, under these auspices, now includes bad luck, tactical calls and on-track occurrences such as in Singapore – there remains the issue regarding opinions.

Of most import to the title race, with six meetings remaining, Piastri is ahead of Norris by 22 points, there is what each driver perceives as fair and at what point their opinion may diverge from the team's stance. Which is when the amicable relationship between the two could eventually – turn somewhat into the iconic rivalry.

“It will reach a point where a few points will matter,” commented Mercedes team principal Wolff after Singapore. “Then calculations will begin and re-calculations and I suppose aggression will increase further. That’s when it starts to get interesting.”

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 instead of a spreadsheet-based arbitration regarding incidents. Not least because for F1 the alternative perception from these events isn't very inspiring.

To be fair, McLaren is taking appropriate choices for their interests and it has paid off. They clinched their tenth team championship in Singapore (albeit a brilliant success diminished by the fuss prompted by their drivers' clash) and in Andrea Stella as squad leader they possess a moral and upright commander who genuinely wants to do the right thing.

Racing purity versus squad control

However, with racers competing for the title appealing to the team for resolutions is unedifying. Their contest ought to be determined on track. Luck and destiny will play their part, but better to let them just battle freely and observe outcomes naturally, rather than the sense that every disputed moment will be pored over by the squad to determine if intervention is needed and subsequently resolved later in private.

The examination will intensify with every occurrence it risks possibly affecting outcomes that could be critical. Previously, following the team's decision their drivers swap places in Italy because Norris had endured a delayed stop and Piastri believing he was treated unfairly regarding tactics in Budapest, where Norris triumphed, the shadow of concern about bias also looms.

Squad viewpoint and future challenges

No one wants to see a title constantly disputed because it may be considered that the efforts to be fair had not been balanced. Questioned whether he believed the squad had acted correctly by both drivers, Piastri responded that they did, but noted that it was an ever-evolving approach.

“We've had several challenging moments and we’ve spoken about a number of things,” he stated after Singapore. “However finally it's educational for the entire squad.”

Six races stay. McLaren have little wriggle room left to do their cramming, thus perhaps wiser to just close the books and step back from the fray.