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McLaren and Formula One could do with anything decisive in the championship battle between Norris and Oscar Piastri being decided on the track and without reference to team orders with the championship finale begins at the Circuit of the Americas on Friday.

Singapore Grand Prix fallout leads to team tensions

With the Singapore Grand Prix’s undoubtedly thorough and tense debriefs dealt with, the Woking-based squad will be hoping for a reset. The British driver was likely more than aware about the historical parallels regarding his retort toward his upset colleague 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 but the incident that provoked his comment was of an entirely different nature from incidents characterizing the Brazilian’s great rivalries.

“Should you criticize me for just going an inside move of a big gap 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 the Brazilian legend's “Should you stop attempting an available gap which is there then you cease to be a true racer” justification he gave to Sir Jackie Stewart following his collision with Alain Prost in Japan in 1990, ensuring he took the title.

Similar spirit yet distinct situations

While the spirit is similar, the phrasing marks where parallels stop. Senna later admitted he had no intent to allow Prost beat him through the first corner while Norris attempted to execute a clean overtake in Singapore. In fact, his maneuver was legitimate that went unpenalised despite the minor contact he made against his team colleague as he went through. That itself was a result of him clipping the car of Max Verstappen in front of him.

The Australian responded angrily and, significantly, instantly stated that Norris gaining the place was “unfair”; suggesting that their collision was forbidden under McLaren’s rules of engagement and Norris should be instructed to return the position he gained. The team refused, but it was indicative that in any cases between them, both will promptly appeal the squad to step in on his behalf.

Squad management and fairness under scrutiny

This is part and parcel of McLaren’s laudable efforts to allow their racers compete one another and strive to maintain strict fairness. Aside from tying some torturous knots in setting precedents over what constitutes just or unjust – under these conditions, now includes bad luck, tactical calls and on-track occurrences such as in Singapore – there is the question regarding opinions.

Most crucially for the championship, with six meetings remaining, 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 – become a little bit more Senna-Prost.

“It will reach a point where minor points count,” said Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff post-race. “Then they’ll start to calculate and re-calculations and I guess aggression will increase a bit more. That's when it begins to become thrilling.”

Viewer desires and championship implications

For spectators, during this dual battle, getting interesting will probably be welcomed in the form of an on-track confrontation instead of a spreadsheet-based arbitration of circumstances. Not least because for F1 the alternative perception from these events isn't very inspiring.

Honestly speaking, McLaren are making the correct decisions for their interests and it has paid off. They clinched their tenth team championship at Marina Bay (though a great achievement diminished by the controversy from the Norris-Piastri moment) and with Stella as team principal they have an ethical and upright commander who truly aims to act correctly.

Racing purity versus squad control

Yet having drivers competing for the title looking to the pitwall for resolutions is unedifying. Their contest should be decided through racing. Luck and destiny will have roles, yet preferable to allow them just battle freely and observe outcomes naturally, rather than the sense that every disputed moment will be analyzed intensely by the squad to ascertain whether intervention is needed and then cleared up later in private.

The scrutiny will intensify and each time it happens it risks 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 was treated unfairly with the strategy call at Hungary, where Norris won, the spectre of a fear of favouritism also looms.

Team perspective and future challenges

No one wants to witness a championship endlessly debated because it may be considered that fairness attempts had not been balanced. When asked if he felt the team had acted correctly toward both racers, Piastri responded that they did, but mentioned it's a developing process.

“There’s been some challenging moments and we discussed a number of things,” he said post-race. “However finally it’s a learning process with the whole team.”

Six races stay. McLaren have little room for error for last-minute adjustments, so it may be better now to simply stop analyzing and step back from the fray.