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The British racing team and F1 would benefit from any conclusive outcome in the title fight involving Norris and Oscar Piastri getting resolved through on-track action and without reference to team orders with the title run-in begins this weekend at Circuit of the Americas starting Friday.

Marina Bay race fallout leads to team tensions

After the Singapore Grand Prix’s undoubtedly thorough and stressful post-race analyses dealt with, McLaren will be hoping for a fresh start. The British driver was almost certainly more than aware about the historical parallels of his riposte toward his upset colleague at the last grand prix weekend. In a fiercely contested championship duel with the Australian, that Norris invoked one of Ayrton Senna’s well-known quotes was lost on no one yet the occurrence which triggered his statement was of an entirely different nature from incidents characterizing the Brazilian’s great rivalries.

“Should you criticize me for just going an inside move of a big gap then you don't belong in Formula One,” stated Norris regarding his first-lap move to overtake which resulted in the cars colliding.

His comment appeared to paraphrase the Brazilian legend's “If you no longer go for a gap which is there then you cease to be a racing driver” defence he gave to Sir Jackie Stewart following his collision with the French champion at Suzuka back in 1990, securing him the championship.

Parallel mindset yet distinct situations

Although the attitude remains comparable, the phrasing is where the similarities end. The late champion confessed he had no intent of letting Prost to defeat him through the first corner while Norris attempted to make his pass cleanly in Singapore. Indeed, it was a perfectly valid effort which received no penalty despite the minor contact he made against his McLaren teammate during the pass. That itself was a result of him touching the Red Bull driven by Verstappen ahead of him.

Piastri reacted furiously and, significantly, instantly stated that Norris gaining the place was “unfair”; the implication being the two teammates clashing was verboten under McLaren’s rules of engagement and Norris should be instructed to give back the place he had made. The team refused, yet it demonstrated that in any cases between them, both will promptly appeal to the team to intervene in their favor.

Team dynamics and fairness being examined

This is part and parcel from McLaren's commendable approach to let their drivers race one another and strive to maintain strict fairness. Aside from creating complex dilemmas when establishing rules over what constitutes just or unjust – under these conditions, now covers bad luck, strategy and racing incidents such as in Singapore – there remains the issue of perception.

Of most import for the championship, six races left, Piastri is ahead of Norris by twenty-two points, each racer's view exists on fairness and at what point their opinion may diverge with that of the McLaren pitwall. Which is when the amicable relationship between the two could eventually – turn somewhat into the iconic rivalry.

“It’s going to come to a situation where minor points count,” commented Mercedes team principal Wolff post-race. “Then calculations will begin and re-calculations and I guess aggression will increase further. That’s when it starts to become thrilling.”

Audience expectations and championship implications

For spectators, in what is a two-horse race, getting interesting will likely be appreciated in the form of a track duel rather than a spreadsheet-based arbitration of circumstances. Especially since in Formula One the alternative perception from these events isn't very inspiring.

Honestly speaking, McLaren are making appropriate choices for themselves with successful results. They clinched their 10th constructors’ title in Singapore (albeit a brilliant success overshadowed by the fuss prompted by the Norris-Piastri moment) and in Andrea Stella as squad leader they have an ethical and principled leader who truly aims to do the right thing.

Racing purity versus team management

However, with racers competing for the title looking to the pitwall for resolutions appears unsightly. Their competition should be decided through racing. Chance and fate will play their part, but better to let them simply go at it and observe outcomes naturally, rather than the sense that every disputed moment will be analyzed intensely by the team to determine if intervention is needed and subsequently resolved afterwards behind closed doors.

The scrutiny will intensify and each time it happens it risks possibly affecting outcomes that could be critical. Already, following the team's decision their drivers swap places in Italy because Norris had endured a slow pit stop and Piastri feeling he was treated unfairly with the strategy call at Hungary, where Norris triumphed, the spectre of a fear of favouritism also emerges.

Team perspective and upcoming tests

Nobody desires to see a title endlessly debated because it may be considered that the efforts to be fair were unequal. Questioned whether he felt the team had managed to do right by both drivers, Piastri responded that they did, but noted that it was an ever-evolving approach.

“There’s been some challenging moments 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 to do their cramming, so it may be better now to simply close the books and withdraw from the fray.