Norris compared to Ayrton Senna versus Piastri likened to Prost? Not exactly, however McLaren must hope title is settled through racing

The British racing team along with F1 would benefit from any conclusive outcome in the title fight between Lando Norris & Piastri getting resolved on the track rather than without reference to the pit wall as the title run-in kicks off this weekend at Circuit of the Americas starting Friday.

Marina Bay race fallout leads to team tensions

After the Singapore Grand Prix’s undoubtedly thorough and tense debriefs concluded, the Woking-based squad is aiming for a fresh start. The British driver was likely fully conscious of the historical context of his riposte toward his upset colleague during the previous race weekend. In a fiercely contested title fight against Piastri, his reference to one of Ayrton Senna’s well-known quotes was lost on no one but the incident which triggered his statement was of an entirely different nature to those that defined Senna's iconic battles.

“Should you criticize me for simply attempting on the inside through an opening then you should not be in Formula One,” stated Norris of his opening-lap attempt to overtake that led to the cars colliding.

His comment appeared to paraphrase Senna’s “Should you stop attempting for a gap that exists then you cease to be a true racer” defence he provided to the racing knight following his collision with the French champion in Japan in 1990, ensuring he took the title.

Similar spirit but different circumstances

Although the attitude remains comparable, the wording is where the similarities end. Senna later admitted he never intended of letting Prost to defeat him at turn one while Norris did try to make his pass cleanly at the Marina Bay circuit. In fact, his maneuver was legitimate that went unpenalised even with the glancing blow he had with his McLaren teammate as he went through. This incident stemmed from him touching the car driven by Verstappen in front of him.

The Australian responded angrily and, notably, immediately declared that Norris's position gain was “unfair”; the implication being the two teammates clashing was forbidden by team protocols of engagement and Norris ought to be told to give back the position he gained. The team refused, but it was indicative that in any cases of contention, each would quickly ask to the team to step in in their favor.

Team dynamics and fairness under scrutiny

This comes naturally from McLaren's commendable approach to let their drivers race against each other and strive to be as scrupulously fair. Quite apart from creating complex dilemmas when establishing rules over what constitutes fair or unfair – which, under these auspices, now covers bad luck, strategy and on-track occurrences like in Marina Bay – there is the question of perception.

Of most import for the championship, with six meetings remaining, Piastri is ahead of Norris by twenty-two points, each racer's view exists 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 the iconic rivalry.

“It’s going to come to a situation where a few points will matter,” said Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff after Singapore. “Then they’ll start to calculate and re-calculations and I guess the elbows are going to come out further. That’s when it starts to get interesting.”

Viewer desires and title consequences

For spectators, during this dual battle, getting interesting will likely be appreciated in the form of an on-track confrontation rather than a data-driven decision of circumstances. Not least because in Formula One the other impression from these events is not particularly rousing.

Honestly speaking, McLaren is taking the correct decisions for themselves with successful results. They clinched their 10th constructors’ title at Marina Bay (though a great achievement diminished by the controversy from the Norris-Piastri moment) and in Andrea Stella as squad leader they possess a moral and upright commander who truly aims to act correctly.

Racing purity versus team management

However, with racers competing for the title looking to the pitwall for resolutions appears unsightly. Their competition should be decided through racing. Chance and fate will play their part, but better to let them simply go at it and see how fortune falls, than the impression that every disputed moment will be pored over by the squad to ascertain whether intervention is needed and subsequently resolved afterwards behind closed doors.

The scrutiny will intensify and each time it happens it is in danger of possibly affecting outcomes which might prove decisive. Previously, after the team made for position swaps at Monza because Norris had endured a slow pit stop and Piastri believing he was treated unfairly with the strategy call at Hungary, where Norris triumphed, the spectre of a fear about bias also looms.

Team perspective and upcoming tests

Nobody desires to witness a championship endlessly debated over perceived that the efforts to be fair were unequal. When asked if he believed the squad had acted correctly by both drivers, 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 for the entire squad.”

Six races stay. McLaren have little room for error to do their cramming, thus perhaps wiser to just close the books and step back from the conflict.