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McLaren along with Formula One would benefit from any conclusive outcome during this championship battle between Lando Norris and Piastri being decided on the track rather than without reference to team orders as the title run-in kicks off at the COTA on Friday.

Singapore Grand Prix fallout leads to internal strain

After the Marina Bay event’s undoubtedly thorough and stressful debriefs dealt with, the Woking-based squad is aiming for a reset. The British driver was likely more than aware of the historical context regarding his retort toward his upset colleague at the last grand prix weekend. During an intense title fight against Piastri, his reference to a famous Senna most famous sentiments was lost on no one but the incident which triggered his statement differed completely to those that defined Senna's iconic battles.

“Should you criticize me for just going on the inside through an opening then you should not be in Formula One,” stated Norris of his opening-lap attempt to pass that led to the cars colliding.

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

Parallel mindset yet distinct situations

Although the attitude is similar, the wording marks where parallels stop. The late champion confessed he never intended to allow Prost beat him through the first corner while Norris did try to make his pass cleanly at the Marina Bay circuit. In fact, his maneuver was legitimate that went unpenalised despite the minor contact he had with his McLaren teammate as he went through. That itself was a result of him clipping the car driven by Verstappen ahead of him.

Piastri reacted furiously and, notably, immediately declared that Norris gaining the place was “unfair”; the implication being their collision was forbidden under McLaren’s rules for racing and Norris ought to be told to return the position he gained. McLaren did not do so, but it was indicative that during disputes between them, both will promptly appeal to the team to intervene in their favor.

Squad management and impartiality under scrutiny

This comes naturally from McLaren's commendable approach to let their drivers race one another and strive to be as scrupulously fair. Aside from creating complex dilemmas in setting precedents over what constitutes fair or unfair – which, under these auspices, now covers misfortune, tactical calls and racing incidents such as in Singapore – there is the question regarding opinions.

Of most import to the title race, six races left, Piastri leads Norris by 22 points, each racer's view exists on fairness and when their opinion may diverge with that of the McLaren pitwall. That is when the amicable relationship between the two may – finally – turn somewhat into Senna-Prost.

“It will reach to a situation where minor points count,” commented Mercedes team principal Wolff after Singapore. “Then they’ll start to calculate and back-calculate and I suppose aggression will increase a bit more. That's when it begins to get interesting.”

Audience expectations and title consequences

For the audience, in what is a two-horse race, getting interesting will likely be appreciated as an on-track confrontation rather than a data-driven decision of circumstances. Not least because for F1 the alternative perception from all this isn't very inspiring.

To be fair, McLaren are making the correct decisions for their interests and it has paid off. They secured their tenth team championship at Marina Bay (though a great achievement diminished by the fuss prompted by their drivers' clash) and in Andrea Stella as squad leader they possess a moral and principled leader who genuinely wants to do the right thing.

Sporting integrity against team management

Yet having drivers competing for the title looking to the pitwall for resolutions is unedifying. Their competition ought to be determined through racing. Chance and fate will have roles, yet preferable to allow them just battle freely and observe outcomes naturally, than the impression that each contentious incident will be pored over by the team to ascertain whether they need to intervene and subsequently resolved later in private.

The examination will increase with every occurrence it is in danger of potentially making a difference which might prove decisive. Already, after the team made their drivers swap places at Monza due to Norris experiencing a delayed stop and Piastri feeling he had been hard done by regarding tactics in Budapest, where Norris triumphed, the spectre of a fear about bias also looms.

Team perspective and upcoming tests

No one wants to see a title endlessly debated because it may be considered that fairness attempts were unequal. Questioned whether he felt the team had acted correctly toward both racers, Piastri responded he believed they had, but mentioned that it was an ever-evolving approach.

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

Six races stay. McLaren have little room for error for last-minute adjustments, thus perhaps wiser to just stop analyzing and withdraw from the fray.