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McLaren along with Formula One would benefit from anything decisive during this title fight between Lando Norris and Piastri being decided on the track rather than without resorting to the pit wall with the title run-in begins at the COTA on Friday.

Singapore Grand Prix fallout leads to team tensions

With the Marina Bay event’s undoubtedly thorough and stressful post-race analyses dealt with, McLaren is aiming for a fresh start. Norris was likely more than aware about the historical parallels regarding his retort toward his upset colleague during the previous race weekend. In a fiercely contested title fight with the Australian, that Norris invoked one of Ayrton Senna’s most famous sentiments did not go unnoticed yet the occurrence 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 through an opening then you don't belong in Formula One,” stated Norris of his opening-lap attempt to overtake that led to the cars colliding.

His comment appeared to paraphrase the Brazilian legend's “If you no longer go for a gap that exists then you cease to be a true racer” defence he gave to the racing knight following his collision with Alain Prost at Suzuka back in 1990, ensuring he took the title.

Similar spirit but different circumstances

Although the attitude is similar, the wording marks where parallels stop. Senna later admitted he had no intent of letting Prost beat him through the first corner while Norris attempted to make his pass cleanly at the Marina Bay circuit. Indeed, it was a perfectly valid effort which received no penalty even with the glancing blow he made against his team colleague during the pass. That itself stemmed from him touching the car of Max Verstappen ahead of him.

Piastri reacted furiously and, notably, immediately declared that Norris's position gain seemed unjust; suggesting that the two teammates clashing was forbidden by team protocols for racing and Norris ought to be told to return the place he had made. McLaren did not do so, yet it demonstrated that in any cases of contention, both will promptly appeal to the team to intervene in their favor.

Squad management and impartiality under scrutiny

This comes naturally from McLaren's commendable approach to let their drivers race one another and to try to maintain strict fairness. Aside from creating complex dilemmas when establishing rules over what constitutes just or unjust – which, under these auspices, now includes bad luck, tactical calls and on-track occurrences like in Marina Bay – there remains the issue regarding opinions.

Of most import to the title race, six races left, Piastri leads Norris by twenty-two points, there is what each driver perceives as fair and when their opinion may diverge from the team's stance. That is when their friendly rapport between the two may – finally – become a little bit more the iconic rivalry.

“It will reach to a situation where minor points count,” commented Mercedes boss Wolff after Singapore. “Then they’ll start to calculate and back-calculate and I suppose aggression will increase a bit more. That's when it begins to get interesting.”

Viewer desires and title consequences

For spectators, in what is a two-horse race, getting interesting will likely be appreciated as an on-track confrontation rather than a data-driven decision regarding incidents. Especially since in Formula One the alternative perception from all this isn't very inspiring.

To be fair, McLaren is taking appropriate choices for their interests with successful results. They clinched their 10th constructors’ title at Marina Bay (though a great achievement diminished by the controversy from their drivers' clash) and in Andrea Stella as team principal they possess a moral and principled leader who truly aims to do the right thing.

Sporting integrity against team management

Yet having drivers competing for the title appealing to the team for resolutions appears unsightly. Their contest should be decided through racing. Chance and fate will have roles, yet preferable to allow them simply go at it and see how fortune falls, than the impression that every disputed moment will be analyzed intensely by the squad to ascertain whether intervention is needed and subsequently resolved afterwards behind closed doors.

The examination will intensify with every occurrence it risks possibly affecting outcomes which might prove decisive. Previously, after the team made for position swaps at Monza because Norris had endured a delayed stop and Piastri believing he had been hard done by regarding tactics at Hungary, where Norris won, the spectre of a fear about bias also emerges.

Team perspective and future challenges

Nobody desires to witness a championship constantly disputed because it may be considered 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 it's a developing process.

“There’s been some challenging moments and we’ve spoken about various aspects,” he said after Singapore. “However finally it's educational with the whole team.”

Six races stay. McLaren have little room for error for last-minute adjustments, thus perhaps wiser now to simply stop analyzing and step back from the fray.