🔗 Share this article

The British racing team and Formula One could do with any conclusive outcome during this title fight involving Lando Norris and Piastri being decided through on-track action rather than without resorting to the pit wall with the championship finale begins this weekend at Circuit of the Americas on Friday.

Singapore Grand Prix aftermath prompts internal strain

After the Marina Bay event’s doubtless extensive and stressful debriefs dealt with, McLaren will be hoping for a fresh start. Norris was almost certainly fully conscious of the historical context of his riposte to his aggrieved teammate during the previous race weekend. During an intense title fight against Piastri, his reference to one of Ayrton Senna’s well-known quotes was lost on no one but the incident that provoked his comment was of an entirely different nature to those that defined the Brazilian’s great rivalries.

“If you fault me for simply attempting an inside move of a big gap then you should not be in Formula One,” Norris said of his opening-lap attempt to overtake that led to their vehicles making contact.

The remark seemed to echo Senna’s “Should you stop attempting an available gap that exists you are no longer a racing driver” defence he gave to the racing knight following his collision with the French champion in Japan in 1990, ensuring he took the title.

Parallel mindset but different circumstances

Although the attitude is similar, the wording is where the similarities end. The late champion confessed he never intended of letting Prost beat him through the first corner while 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 McLaren teammate during the pass. That itself stemmed from him touching the car driven by Verstappen ahead of him.

Piastri reacted furiously and, significantly, instantly stated that Norris gaining the place seemed unjust; suggesting that the two teammates clashing was forbidden by team protocols for racing and Norris should be instructed to return the place he had made. The team refused, but it was indicative that during disputes of contention, both will promptly appeal the squad to intervene in their favor.

Team dynamics and impartiality under scrutiny

This is part and parcel of McLaren’s laudable efforts to let their drivers race against each other and to try to be as scrupulously fair. Quite apart from creating complex dilemmas when establishing rules over what constitutes fair or unfair – under these conditions, now covers bad luck, strategy and on-track occurrences like in Marina Bay – there remains the issue of perception.

Most crucially to the title race, six races left, Piastri is ahead of Norris by twenty-two points, each racer's view exists as fair and at what point their opinion may diverge with that of the McLaren pitwall. Which is when the amicable relationship among them may – finally – become a little bit more the iconic rivalry.

“It will reach to a situation where minor points count,” said Mercedes boss Toto Wolff post-race. “Then calculations will begin and back-calculate and I guess the elbows are going to come out further. That's when it begins to get interesting.”

Viewer desires and championship implications

For spectators, in what is a two-horse race, increased excitement will likely be appreciated as a track duel instead of a spreadsheet-based arbitration of circumstances. Not least because in Formula One the other impression from all this isn't very inspiring.

To be fair, McLaren are making the correct decisions for themselves and it has paid off. They secured their 10th constructors’ title at Marina Bay (albeit a brilliant success diminished by the fuss prompted by the Norris-Piastri moment) and in Andrea Stella as squad leader they have an ethical and upright commander who genuinely wants to act correctly.

Sporting integrity against squad control

Yet having drivers competing for the title looking to the pitwall for resolutions is unedifying. Their competition ought to be determined through racing. Chance and fate 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 pored over by the team to determine if they need to intervene and then cleared up later in private.

The scrutiny will intensify with every occurrence it is in danger of potentially making a difference that could be critical. Already, following the team's decision their drivers swap places at Monza because Norris had endured a delayed stop and Piastri feeling he was treated unfairly with the strategy call at Hungary, where Norris won, the shadow of concern about bias also looms.

Squad viewpoint and future challenges

No one wants to see a title constantly disputed over perceived that fairness attempts were unequal. Questioned whether he felt the team had managed to do right toward both racers, Piastri responded that they did, but mentioned that it was an ever-evolving approach.

“We've had several difficult situations and we discussed various aspects,” he said after Singapore. “But ultimately it's educational for the entire squad.”

Six races stay. The team has minimal room for error to do their cramming, so it may be better now to simply close the books and step back from the fray.