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

Marina Bay race aftermath prompts internal strain

After the Singapore Grand Prix’s undoubtedly thorough and tense debriefs dealt with, the Woking-based squad is aiming for a fresh start. Norris was likely more than aware about the historical parallels regarding his retort to his aggrieved teammate during the previous race weekend. During an intense title fight against Piastri, that Norris invoked one of Ayrton Senna’s well-known quotes was lost on no one yet the occurrence which triggered his statement differed completely from incidents characterizing Senna's iconic battles.

“Should you criticize me for simply attempting on the inside through an opening then you don't belong in Formula One,” Norris said of his opening-lap attempt to overtake that led to their vehicles making contact.

His comment appeared to paraphrase Senna’s “Should you stop attempting for a gap which is there then you cease to be a true racer” defence he provided to the racing knight after he ploughed into Alain Prost in Japan in 1990, ensuring he took the title.

Parallel mindset yet distinct situations

While the spirit is similar, 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 make his pass cleanly at the Marina Bay circuit. In fact, 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, immediately declared that Norris gaining the place seemed unjust; suggesting that the two teammates clashing was forbidden by team protocols of engagement and Norris should be instructed to give back the place he had made. McLaren did not do so, 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 under scrutiny

This is part and parcel from McLaren's commendable approach to allow their racers compete against each other and to try to maintain strict fairness. Quite apart from creating complex dilemmas when establishing rules about what defines fair or unfair – which, under these auspices, now includes misfortune, tactical calls and racing incidents such as in Singapore – there is the question regarding opinions.

Of most import to the title race, with six meetings remaining, Piastri is ahead of Norris by 22 points, each racer's view exists on fairness and at what point their opinion may diverge from the team's stance. That is when their friendly rapport among them could eventually – turn somewhat into Senna-Prost.

“It will reach to a situation where a few points will matter,” said Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff post-race. “Then calculations will begin and re-calculations and I guess aggression will increase a bit more. That's when it begins to become thrilling.”

Audience expectations and title consequences

For the audience, in what is a two-horse race, increased excitement will probably be welcomed as an on-track confrontation rather than a data-driven decision of circumstances. Especially since in Formula One the alternative perception from these events is not particularly rousing.

Honestly speaking, McLaren are making the correct decisions for themselves with successful results. They clinched their 10th constructors’ title at Marina Bay (albeit a brilliant success overshadowed by the fuss prompted by their drivers' clash) and with Stella as team principal they have an ethical and upright commander who truly aims to do the right thing.

Racing purity against squad control

Yet having drivers in a championship fight looking to the pitwall for resolutions is unedifying. Their contest ought to be determined through racing. Luck and destiny will have roles, but better to let them just battle freely and observe outcomes naturally, than the impression that every disputed moment will be pored over by the squad to ascertain whether they need to intervene and subsequently resolved later in private.

The scrutiny will intensify and each time it happens it is in danger of possibly affecting outcomes that could be critical. Previously, following the team's decision their drivers swap places at Monza due to Norris experiencing a slow pit stop and Piastri feeling he was treated unfairly with the strategy call in Budapest, where Norris won, the spectre of a fear about bias also emerges.

Squad viewpoint and future challenges

No one wants to witness a championship constantly disputed because it may be considered that the efforts to be fair were unequal. Questioned whether he felt the team had managed to do right toward both racers, Piastri responded that they did, but mentioned it's a developing process.

“There’s been some challenging moments and we discussed a number of things,” he stated after Singapore. “But ultimately it’s a learning process for the entire squad.”

Six races stay. McLaren have little room for error to do their cramming, so it may be better now to simply stop analyzing and step back from the fray.