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McLaren along with F1 could do with any conclusive outcome during this championship battle between Lando Norris & Piastri being decided through on-track action rather than without resorting to team orders with the championship finale kicks off at the Circuit of the Americas on Friday.

Marina Bay race aftermath prompts internal strain

After the Singapore Grand Prix’s doubtless extensive and stressful debriefs dealt with, the Woking-based squad will be hoping for a fresh start. Norris was likely fully conscious of the historical context regarding his retort toward his upset colleague at the last grand prix weekend. During an intense championship duel with the Australian, his reference to one of Ayrton Senna’s most famous sentiments was lost on no one yet the occurrence that provoked his comment differed completely to those that defined Senna's iconic battles.

“Should you criticize me for simply attempting an inside move of a big gap then you don't belong in Formula One,” Norris said regarding his first-lap move to pass which resulted in their vehicles making contact.

His comment appeared to paraphrase Senna’s “If you no longer go for a gap that exists you are no longer a true racer” justification he gave to Sir Jackie Stewart following his collision with Alain Prost in Japan in 1990, securing him the championship.

Parallel mindset but different circumstances

Although the attitude is similar, the wording marks where parallels stop. Senna later admitted he never intended to allow Prost beat him through the first corner whereas Norris attempted to execute a clean overtake at the Marina Bay circuit. In fact, his maneuver was legitimate which received no penalty even with the glancing blow he made against his team colleague during the pass. This incident stemmed from him clipping the Red Bull driven by Verstappen ahead of him.

Piastri reacted furiously and, significantly, immediately declared that Norris gaining the place seemed unjust; the implication being their collision was verboten by team protocols of engagement and Norris should be instructed to return the position he gained. McLaren did not do so, but it was indicative that during disputes of contention, each would quickly ask to the team to intervene in their favor.

Team dynamics and impartiality being examined

This is part and parcel from McLaren's commendable approach to allow their racers compete against each other and strive to be as scrupulously fair. Quite apart from tying some torturous knots when establishing rules over what constitutes fair or unfair – which, under these auspices, now covers bad luck, tactical calls and on-track occurrences like in Marina Bay – there remains the issue of perception.

Most crucially for the championship, with six meetings remaining, Piastri leads Norris by 22 points, there is what each driver perceives as fair and at what point their perspectives might split with that of the McLaren pitwall. Which is when their friendly rapport among them could eventually – turn somewhat into the iconic rivalry.

“It will reach a point where minor points count,” said Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff after Singapore. “Then they’ll start to calculate and re-calculations and I suppose aggression will increase further. That’s when it starts to become thrilling.”

Audience expectations and championship implications

For the audience, during this dual battle, increased excitement will probably be welcomed in the form of an on-track confrontation instead of a data-driven decision of circumstances. Not least because for F1 the other impression from all this is not particularly rousing.

To be fair, McLaren are making the correct decisions for their interests with successful results. They secured their 10th constructors’ title in Singapore (albeit a brilliant success overshadowed by the fuss prompted by 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 versus squad control

However, with racers in a championship fight appealing to the team for resolutions appears unsightly. Their contest ought to be determined through racing. Chance and fate will play their part, but better to let them simply go at it and observe outcomes naturally, than the impression that every disputed moment will be pored over by the team to ascertain whether they need to intervene and subsequently resolved afterwards behind closed doors.

The examination will increase and each time it happens it is in danger of possibly affecting outcomes which might prove decisive. Already, following the team's decision for position swaps at Monza due to Norris experiencing a slow pit stop and Piastri believing he was treated unfairly regarding tactics in Budapest, where Norris won, the spectre of a fear of favouritism also looms.

Squad viewpoint and upcoming tests

No one wants to witness a championship constantly disputed over perceived that fairness attempts had not been balanced. When asked if he believed the squad had acted correctly by both drivers, Piastri responded that they did, but noted that it was an ever-evolving approach.

“There’s been some challenging moments and we discussed various aspects,” he stated post-race. “But ultimately it's educational for the entire squad.”

Six races stay. The team has minimal room for error for last-minute adjustments, so it may be better to just close the books and step back from the fray.