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The British racing team along with F1 could do with any conclusive outcome during this championship battle between Lando Norris & Oscar Piastri being decided on the track rather than without resorting to the pit wall with the championship finale kicks off this weekend at COTA on Friday.

Marina Bay race fallout leads to team tensions

With the Singapore Grand Prix’s doubtless extensive and tense post-race analyses dealt with, the Woking-based squad is aiming for a fresh start. Norris was almost certainly more than aware about the historical parallels regarding his retort toward his upset colleague during the previous race weekend. During an intense title fight with the Australian, that Norris invoked a famous Senna well-known quotes was lost on no one yet the occurrence which triggered his statement 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 should not be in F1,” Norris said of his opening-lap attempt to pass which resulted in their vehicles making contact.

His comment seemed to echo Senna’s “Should you stop attempting for a gap which is there you are no longer a true racer” justification he provided to the racing knight following his collision with the French champion in Japan in 1990, ensuring he took the title.

Parallel mindset yet distinct situations

Although the attitude remains comparable, the wording is where the similarities end. Senna later admitted he never intended of letting Prost beat him through the first corner whereas Norris did try to make his pass cleanly in Singapore. Indeed, it was a perfectly valid effort that went unpenalised despite the minor contact he made against his McLaren teammate during the pass. That itself was a result of him touching the car of Max Verstappen ahead of him.

The Australian responded angrily and, notably, instantly stated that Norris's position gain was “unfair”; the implication being the two teammates clashing was forbidden by team protocols of engagement and Norris ought to be told to return the position he gained. The team refused, yet it demonstrated that in any cases between them, both will promptly appeal to the team to step in in their favor.

Squad management and fairness being examined

This comes naturally from McLaren's commendable approach to let their drivers race one another and to try to be as scrupulously fair. Quite apart from creating complex dilemmas in setting precedents over what constitutes fair or unfair – which, under these auspices, now covers misfortune, tactical calls and on-track occurrences such as in Singapore – there remains the issue of perception.

Of most import to the title race, six races left, Piastri leads Norris by 22 points, there is what each driver perceives on fairness and at what point their perspectives might split from the team's stance. That is when the amicable relationship between the two may – finally – turn somewhat into the iconic rivalry.

“It’s going to come a point where minor points count,” commented Mercedes boss Toto Wolff after Singapore. “Then calculations will begin and back-calculate and I guess aggression will increase a bit more. That’s when it starts to become thrilling.”

Audience expectations 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 regarding incidents. Not least because for F1 the other impression from all this is not particularly rousing.

Honestly speaking, McLaren are making the correct decisions for their interests with successful results. They clinched their 10th constructors’ title in Singapore (though a great achievement overshadowed by the controversy from the Norris-Piastri moment) and in Andrea Stella as squad leader they possess a moral and upright commander who truly aims to do the right thing.

Racing purity against team management

However, with racers in a championship fight appealing to the team for resolutions is unedifying. Their competition should be decided through racing. Luck and destiny will have roles, but better to let them just battle freely and see how fortune falls, than the impression that every disputed moment will be pored over by the team to ascertain whether they need to intervene and then cleared up afterwards behind closed doors.

The examination will increase with every occurrence it risks possibly affecting outcomes which might prove decisive. Previously, following the team's decision for position swaps at Monza because Norris had endured a slow pit stop and Piastri believing he had been hard done by regarding tactics in Budapest, where Norris won, the spectre of a fear about bias also looms.

Team perspective 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 believed the squad had managed to do right toward both racers, Piastri responded he believed they had, but noted it's a developing process.

“There’s been some difficult situations and we’ve spoken about various aspects,” he stated after Singapore. “But ultimately it's educational 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 withdraw from the fray.