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The British racing team and Formula One would benefit from any conclusive outcome during this title fight between Norris & Oscar Piastri being decided through on-track action rather than without resorting to team orders with the championship finale begins at the Circuit of the Americas starting Friday.

Marina Bay race fallout leads to team tensions

With the Singapore Grand Prix’s undoubtedly thorough and tense debriefs dealt with, the Woking-based squad is aiming for a fresh start. Norris was almost certainly fully conscious of the historical context of his riposte to his aggrieved teammate at the last grand prix weekend. During an intense championship duel with the Australian, his reference to 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 Senna's iconic battles.

“If you fault me for simply attempting on the inside through an opening then you don't belong in Formula One,” stated Norris regarding his first-lap move to pass which resulted in the cars colliding.

His comment appeared to paraphrase the Brazilian legend's “If you no longer go an available gap which is there then you cease to be a racing driver” defence he gave to the racing knight following his collision with Alain Prost at Suzuka in 1990, ensuring he took the championship.

Similar spirit but different circumstances

While the spirit remains comparable, the wording marks where parallels stop. Senna later admitted he had no intent to allow Prost to defeat him at turn one while Norris did try 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 made against his McLaren teammate as he went through. This incident was a result of him clipping the car driven by Verstappen in front of him.

Piastri reacted furiously and, notably, immediately declared that Norris's position gain was “unfair”; suggesting that the two teammates clashing was forbidden under McLaren’s rules of engagement and Norris should be instructed to give back the position he gained. The team refused, but it was indicative that in any cases of contention, both will promptly appeal the squad to intervene on his behalf.

Squad management and fairness being examined

This is part and parcel of McLaren’s laudable efforts to let their drivers race one another and to try to be as scrupulously fair. Aside from creating complex dilemmas when establishing rules about what defines just or unjust – under these conditions, now covers bad luck, strategy and racing incidents such as in Singapore – there is the question regarding opinions.

Most crucially to the title race, six races left, Piastri is ahead of Norris by 22 points, there is what each driver perceives as fair and when their opinion may diverge from the team's stance. That is when the amicable relationship among them may – finally – turn somewhat into the iconic rivalry.

“It will reach to a situation where a few points will matter,” 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 begins to become thrilling.”

Audience expectations and title consequences

For spectators, during this dual battle, getting interesting will probably be welcomed as an on-track confrontation instead of a spreadsheet-based arbitration of circumstances. Not least because in Formula One the other impression from these events isn't very inspiring.

Honestly speaking, McLaren is taking appropriate choices for themselves and it has paid off. They secured their 10th constructors’ title at Marina Bay (albeit a brilliant success diminished by the fuss prompted by their drivers' clash) and in Andrea Stella as squad leader they have an ethical and principled leader who genuinely wants to do the right thing.

Racing purity versus squad control

Yet having drivers in a championship fight looking to the pitwall for resolutions is unedifying. Their competition ought to be determined on track. Chance and fate will play their part, but better to let them just battle freely and observe outcomes naturally, than the impression that each contentious incident will be pored over by the team to determine if intervention is needed and subsequently resolved later in private.

The scrutiny will intensify with every occurrence it is in danger of possibly affecting outcomes that could be critical. Already, after the team made for position swaps at Monza because Norris had endured a slow pit stop and Piastri believing he was treated unfairly regarding tactics in Budapest, where Norris won, the shadow of concern of favouritism also emerges.

Squad viewpoint and upcoming tests

No one wants to see a title constantly disputed because it may be considered that the efforts to be fair were unequal. When asked if he felt the team had managed to do right by both drivers, Piastri responded that they did, but mentioned it's a developing process.

“There’s been some challenging moments and we discussed various aspects,” he said after Singapore. “However finally it’s a learning process for the entire squad.”

Six races stay. McLaren have little wriggle room left for last-minute adjustments, thus perhaps wiser now to simply close the books and step back from the conflict.