🔗 Share this article

The British racing team and F1 could do with anything decisive in the championship battle between Norris and Piastri getting resolved through on-track action and without resorting to the pit wall with the title run-in kicks off at the Circuit of the Americas starting Friday.

Marina Bay race aftermath leads to internal strain

With the Marina Bay event’s undoubtedly thorough and stressful debriefs concluded, McLaren is aiming for a fresh start. The British driver was almost certainly fully conscious about the historical parallels of his riposte to his aggrieved teammate at the last race weekend. In a fiercely contested title fight with the Australian, his reference to a famous Senna most famous sentiments did not go unnoticed yet the occurrence which triggered his statement differed completely from incidents characterizing Senna'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,” stated Norris of his opening-lap attempt to pass which resulted in their vehicles making contact.

His comment appeared to paraphrase the Brazilian legend's “Should you stop attempting an available gap that exists you are no longer a true racer” justification he provided to Sir Jackie Stewart after he ploughed into the French champion at Suzuka in 1990, securing him the title.

Similar spirit but different circumstances

While the spirit is similar, the phrasing is where the similarities end. Senna later admitted he had no intent to allow Prost beat him at turn one whereas Norris attempted to make his pass cleanly in Singapore. Indeed, it was a perfectly valid effort that went unpenalised despite the minor contact he had with his team colleague during the pass. That itself was a result of him clipping the Red Bull driven by Verstappen ahead of him.

The Australian responded angrily and, notably, immediately declared that Norris's position gain was “unfair”; suggesting that the two teammates clashing was forbidden under McLaren’s rules for racing and Norris ought to be told to give back the place he had made. McLaren did not do so, but it was indicative that in any cases between them, each would quickly ask to the team to intervene on his behalf.

Squad management and fairness being examined

This is part and parcel from McLaren's commendable approach to let their drivers race one another and strive to maintain strict fairness. Quite apart from tying some torturous knots when establishing rules about what defines fair or unfair – which, under these auspices, now covers misfortune, strategy and on-track occurrences like in Marina Bay – there remains the issue of perception.

Of most import to the title race, with six meetings remaining, Piastri is ahead of Norris by 22 points, there is what each driver perceives on fairness and when their perspectives might split from the team's stance. Which is when the amicable relationship between the two may – finally – turn somewhat into the iconic rivalry.

“It’s going to come a point where a few points will matter,” commented Mercedes team principal Wolff after Singapore. “Then calculations will begin and back-calculate and I suppose aggression will increase further. That's when it begins to get interesting.”

Viewer desires and championship implications

For the audience, in what is a two-horse race, getting interesting will probably be welcomed as an on-track confrontation instead of a data-driven decision of circumstances. Especially since in Formula One the alternative perception from these events is not particularly rousing.

To be fair, McLaren is taking appropriate choices for their interests and it has paid off. They secured their tenth team championship in Singapore (though a great achievement diminished by the fuss prompted by their drivers' clash) and in Andrea Stella as team principal they have an ethical and upright commander who genuinely wants to act correctly.

Racing purity against squad control

However, with racers in a championship fight looking to the pitwall to decide matters is unedifying. Their contest should be decided on track. Luck and destiny will play their part, yet preferable to allow them just battle freely and see how fortune falls, than the impression that every disputed moment will be analyzed intensely by the team to ascertain whether they need to intervene and subsequently resolved afterwards behind closed doors.

The scrutiny will increase and each time it happens it risks possibly affecting outcomes that could be critical. Already, following the team's decision their drivers swap places at Monza because Norris had endured a slow pit stop and Piastri feeling he had been hard done by with the strategy call at Hungary, where Norris triumphed, the shadow of concern of favouritism also emerges.

Team perspective and upcoming tests

Nobody desires to see a title endlessly debated because it may be considered that the efforts to be fair were unequal. Questioned whether he felt the team had managed to do right toward both racers, Piastri said that they did, but noted that it was an ever-evolving approach.

“We've had several difficult situations and we’ve spoken about a number of things,” he said post-race. “But ultimately it’s a learning process for the entire squad.”

Six meetings remain. McLaren have little wriggle room left for last-minute adjustments, so it may be better now to simply close the books and withdraw from the fray.