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McLaren along with Formula One would benefit from any conclusive outcome in the championship battle between Lando Norris & Piastri getting resolved on the track and without resorting to team orders as the title run-in begins this weekend at COTA on Friday.

Marina Bay race aftermath prompts team tensions

With the Singapore Grand Prix’s undoubtedly thorough and tense post-race analyses concluded, McLaren is aiming for a fresh start. The British driver was likely fully conscious of the historical context regarding his retort to his aggrieved teammate during the previous grand prix weekend. In a fiercely contested championship duel against Piastri, his reference to a famous Senna most famous sentiments did not go unnoticed yet the occurrence which triggered his statement differed completely from incidents characterizing the Brazilian’s great rivalries.

“If you fault me for just going on the inside of a big gap then you should not be in F1,” Norris said regarding his first-lap move to overtake which resulted in their vehicles making contact.

His comment appeared to paraphrase the Brazilian legend's “Should you stop attempting for a gap that exists you are no longer a true racer” justification he provided to the racing knight after he ploughed into Alain Prost at Suzuka in 1990, ensuring he took the championship.

Similar spirit yet distinct situations

While the spirit is similar, the phrasing is where the similarities end. The late champion confessed he had no intent to allow Prost beat him at turn one while Norris did try to execute a clean overtake in Singapore. In fact, it was a perfectly valid effort that went unpenalised despite the minor contact he made against his team colleague as he went through. This incident was a result of him clipping the car driven by Verstappen ahead of him.

The Australian responded angrily and, significantly, instantly stated that Norris gaining the place seemed unjust; suggesting that 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 of contention, each would quickly ask to the team to intervene in their favor.

Team dynamics and fairness under scrutiny

This is part and parcel of McLaren’s laudable efforts to let their drivers race against each other and strive to be as scrupulously fair. Aside from tying some torturous knots when establishing rules over what constitutes just or unjust – which, under these auspices, now includes bad luck, tactical calls and on-track occurrences such as in Singapore – there remains the issue of perception.

Most crucially for the championship, six races left, Piastri is ahead of Norris by twenty-two points, there is what each driver perceives on fairness and at what point their perspectives might split with that of the McLaren pitwall. Which is when their friendly rapport among them could eventually – become a little bit more Senna-Prost.

“It’s going to come a point where a few points will matter,” said Mercedes boss Toto Wolff after Singapore. “Then they’ll start to calculate and back-calculate and I suppose aggression will increase further. That’s when it starts to become thrilling.”

Viewer desires and title consequences

For spectators, during this dual battle, increased excitement will probably be welcomed as an on-track confrontation instead of a data-driven decision of circumstances. Especially since in Formula One the other impression from these events isn't very inspiring.

Honestly speaking, McLaren are making the correct decisions for themselves and it has paid off. They clinched their 10th constructors’ title at Marina Bay (albeit a brilliant success diminished by the controversy from their drivers' clash) and with Stella as squad leader they have an ethical and principled leader who truly aims to do the right thing.

Racing purity against squad control

However, with racers competing for the title appealing to the team for resolutions appears unsightly. Their contest should be decided through racing. Chance and fate will have roles, yet preferable to allow them just battle freely and see how fortune falls, rather than the sense that every disputed moment will be analyzed intensely by the team to determine if they need to intervene and subsequently resolved afterwards behind closed doors.

The examination will increase with every occurrence it risks potentially making a difference which might prove decisive. Previously, after the team made for position swaps at Monza because Norris had endured a delayed stop and Piastri believing he had been hard done by regarding tactics in Budapest, where Norris won, the spectre of a fear of favouritism also looms.

Team perspective 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. When asked if he believed the squad had acted correctly toward both racers, Piastri responded that they did, but mentioned that it was an ever-evolving approach.

“We've had several challenging moments and we discussed a number of things,” he stated after Singapore. “But ultimately 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 conflict.