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McLaren and F1 would benefit from any conclusive outcome in the title fight involving Norris & Oscar Piastri getting resolved on the track and without reference to team orders with the title run-in kicks off this weekend at COTA on Friday.

Marina Bay race aftermath leads to internal strain

With the Singapore Grand Prix’s doubtless extensive and tense debriefs dealt with, the Woking-based squad is aiming for a reset. Norris was likely more than aware about the historical parallels regarding his retort to his aggrieved teammate during the previous grand prix weekend. In a fiercely contested championship duel with the Australian, that Norris invoked a famous Senna most famous sentiments did not go unnoticed yet the occurrence that provoked his comment was of an entirely different nature from incidents characterizing the Brazilian’s great rivalries.

“Should you criticize me for simply attempting an inside move through an opening then you should not be in Formula One,” Norris said regarding his first-lap move to pass that led to the cars colliding.

The remark seemed to echo Senna’s “Should you stop attempting an available 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 back in 1990, securing him 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 through the first corner whereas Norris attempted to execute a clean overtake at the Marina Bay circuit. Indeed, it was a perfectly valid effort which received no penalty even with the glancing blow he had with his team colleague as he went through. That itself stemmed from him touching the car driven by Verstappen ahead of him.

The Australian responded angrily and, notably, immediately declared that Norris's position gain seemed unjust; suggesting that the two teammates clashing was verboten under McLaren’s rules of engagement and Norris ought to be told to give back the position he gained. The team refused, but it was indicative that during disputes of contention, both will promptly appeal to the team to intervene on his behalf.

Squad management and fairness under scrutiny

This comes naturally from McLaren's commendable approach to allow their racers compete one another and to try to maintain strict fairness. Aside from tying some torturous knots 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 remains the issue of perception.

Of most import to the title race, 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 from the team's stance. Which is when their friendly rapport between the two may – finally – become a little bit more the iconic rivalry.

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

Audience expectations and championship implications

For the audience, in what is a two-horse race, increased excitement will probably be welcomed in the form of an on-track confrontation rather than a data-driven decision regarding incidents. Especially since in Formula One the other impression from all this is not particularly rousing.

Honestly speaking, McLaren is taking appropriate choices for their interests with successful results. They clinched their tenth team championship at Marina Bay (albeit a brilliant success overshadowed by the fuss prompted by the Norris-Piastri moment) and with Stella as team principal they have an ethical and principled leader who truly aims to act correctly.

Racing purity against squad control

Yet having drivers in a championship fight looking to the pitwall to decide matters appears unsightly. Their contest ought to be determined through racing. Chance and fate will play their part, yet preferable to allow them simply go at it and observe outcomes naturally, rather than the sense that every disputed moment will be analyzed intensely by the squad to determine if intervention is needed and then cleared up afterwards behind closed doors.

The scrutiny will increase and each time it happens it is in danger of possibly affecting outcomes which might prove decisive. Previously, after the team made for position swaps at Monza due to Norris experiencing a slow pit stop and Piastri feeling he had been hard done by with the strategy call in Budapest, where Norris triumphed, the shadow of concern about bias also emerges.

Team perspective and upcoming tests

Nobody desires to see a title constantly disputed over perceived that the efforts to be fair were unequal. When asked if he believed the squad had managed to do right 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 said post-race. “However finally 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 to just stop analyzing and withdraw from the fray.