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McLaren along with Formula One would benefit from anything decisive during this title fight involving Lando Norris & Piastri being decided on the track and without reference to the pit wall with the title run-in kicks off this weekend at Circuit of the Americas on Friday.

Marina Bay race aftermath prompts internal strain

With the Singapore Grand Prix’s doubtless extensive and tense debriefs dealt with, the Woking-based squad will be hoping for a fresh start. Norris was almost certainly more than aware about the historical parallels of his riposte to his aggrieved teammate during the previous grand prix weekend. In a fiercely contested title fight with the Australian, that Norris invoked a famous Senna well-known quotes did not go unnoticed but the incident which triggered his statement differed completely to those that defined the Brazilian’s iconic battles.

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

His comment appeared to paraphrase the Brazilian legend's “If you no longer go an available gap that exists then you cease to be a true racer” justification he provided to the racing knight after he ploughed into the French champion in Japan in 1990, ensuring he took the championship.

Similar spirit but different circumstances

While the spirit is similar, the phrasing marks where parallels stop. The late champion confessed he never intended of letting Prost beat him at turn one whereas Norris did try to execute a clean overtake in Singapore. In fact, his maneuver was legitimate which received no penalty even with the glancing blow he made against his team colleague as he went through. That itself stemmed from him clipping the car of Max Verstappen in front of him.

Piastri reacted furiously and, notably, instantly stated that Norris's position gain was “unfair”; suggesting that their collision was verboten under McLaren’s rules of engagement and Norris ought to be told to give back the place he had made. McLaren did not do so, yet it demonstrated that during disputes of contention, each would quickly ask to the team to intervene in their favor.

Squad management and impartiality being examined

This comes naturally from McLaren's commendable approach to allow their racers compete against each other and to try to maintain strict fairness. Aside from tying some torturous knots in setting precedents about what defines just or unjust – under these conditions, now includes misfortune, strategy and on-track occurrences like in Marina Bay – there is the question of perception.

Of most import for the championship, six races left, Piastri leads Norris by twenty-two points, there is what each driver perceives as fair and when their perspectives might split with that of the McLaren pitwall. Which is when their friendly rapport between the two could eventually – become a little bit more Senna-Prost.

“It’s going to come to a situation where minor points count,” said Mercedes team principal 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 get interesting.”

Viewer desires and title consequences

For spectators, in what is a two-horse race, increased excitement will probably be welcomed in the form of an on-track confrontation rather than a spreadsheet-based arbitration regarding incidents. Especially since for F1 the alternative perception from these events is not particularly rousing.

To be fair, McLaren is taking the correct decisions for themselves and it has paid off. They clinched their tenth team championship in Singapore (though a great achievement diminished by the controversy from their drivers' clash) and with Stella as squad leader they possess a moral and upright commander who truly aims to act correctly.

Racing purity against squad control

Yet having drivers competing for the title looking to the pitwall for resolutions appears unsightly. Their contest should be decided through racing. Luck and destiny will play their part, but better to let them simply go at it and see how fortune falls, rather than the sense that each contentious incident will be analyzed intensely by the team to determine if intervention is needed and then cleared up afterwards behind closed doors.

The scrutiny will increase with every occurrence it risks potentially making a difference that could be critical. Already, after the team made for position swaps in Italy because Norris had endured a delayed stop and Piastri feeling he had been hard done by regarding tactics in Budapest, where Norris won, the shadow of concern of favouritism also looms.

Squad viewpoint and upcoming tests

No one wants to see a title constantly disputed over perceived that fairness attempts were unequal. Questioned whether he believed the squad had managed to do right toward both racers, Piastri responded he believed they had, but mentioned it's a developing process.

“We've had several challenging moments and we discussed various aspects,” he said post-race. “However finally it’s a learning process with the whole team.”

Six meetings remain. McLaren have little room for error to do their cramming, thus perhaps wiser now to simply stop analyzing and step back from the conflict.