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McLaren along with F1 could do with any conclusive outcome during this championship battle between Norris and Piastri being decided through on-track action and without reference to the pit wall as the championship finale begins this weekend at Circuit of the Americas on Friday.

Marina Bay race aftermath leads to 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 more than aware about the historical parallels of his riposte toward his upset colleague during the previous race weekend. In a fiercely contested title fight against Piastri, that Norris invoked one of Ayrton Senna’s most famous sentiments did not go unnoticed yet the occurrence that provoked his comment was of an entirely different nature to those that defined Senna's iconic battles.

“Should you criticize me for just going an inside move of a big gap then you don't belong in F1,” stated Norris of his opening-lap attempt to overtake which resulted in their vehicles making contact.

His comment appeared to paraphrase Senna’s “Should you stop attempting for a gap that exists you are no longer a racing driver” justification he provided to the racing knight after he ploughed into Alain Prost at Suzuka in 1990, securing him the championship.

Parallel mindset but different circumstances

While the spirit remains comparable, the phrasing marks where parallels stop. The late champion confessed he had no intent to allow Prost to defeat him at turn one while Norris attempted to make his pass cleanly in Singapore. Indeed, his maneuver was legitimate which received no penalty even with the glancing blow he made against his McLaren teammate during the pass. That itself was a result of him touching the Red Bull of Max Verstappen in front of him.

The Australian responded angrily and, notably, instantly stated that Norris gaining the place was “unfair”; suggesting that their collision was verboten under McLaren’s rules of engagement and Norris should be instructed to give back the place he had made. The team refused, yet it demonstrated that in any cases of contention, each would quickly ask to the team to step in in their favor.

Team dynamics and fairness being examined

This comes naturally from McLaren's commendable approach to allow their racers compete against each other and to try to maintain strict fairness. Aside from tying some torturous knots when establishing rules over what constitutes fair or unfair – under these conditions, now includes bad luck, strategy and racing incidents such as in Singapore – there is the question regarding opinions.

Of most import to the title race, six races left, Piastri leads Norris by twenty-two points, each racer's view exists as fair and when their perspectives might split from the team's stance. Which is when the amicable relationship between the two could eventually – become a little bit more the iconic rivalry.

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

Viewer desires and title consequences

For the audience, during this dual battle, getting interesting will likely be appreciated as a track duel instead of a data-driven decision regarding incidents. Not least because in Formula One the alternative perception from all this isn't very inspiring.

To be fair, McLaren are making the correct decisions for their interests and it has paid off. They secured their tenth team championship in Singapore (albeit a brilliant success overshadowed by the fuss prompted by their drivers' clash) and with Stella as team principal they have an ethical and principled leader who truly aims to do the right thing.

Racing purity against team management

Yet having drivers competing for the title appealing to the team for resolutions is unedifying. Their contest ought to be determined on track. Chance and fate will play their part, yet preferable to allow them simply go at it and observe outcomes naturally, than the impression that each contentious incident will be analyzed intensely by the team to determine if intervention is needed and then cleared up later in private.

The examination will increase with every occurrence it is in danger of potentially making a difference that could be critical. Previously, following the team's decision their drivers swap places at Monza because Norris had endured a delayed stop and Piastri believing he had been hard done by regarding tactics in Budapest, where Norris triumphed, the shadow of concern about bias also emerges.

Squad viewpoint and upcoming tests

Nobody desires to witness a championship endlessly debated because it may be considered that the efforts to be fair had not been balanced. Questioned whether he felt the team had managed to do right toward both racers, Piastri said that they did, but mentioned it's a developing process.

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

Six meetings remain. McLaren have little room for error for last-minute adjustments, so it may be better now to simply stop analyzing and withdraw from the fray.