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The British racing team and Formula One would benefit from any conclusive outcome during this championship battle involving Norris and Piastri being decided on the track rather than without resorting to team orders as the championship finale begins at the Circuit of the Americas starting Friday.

Singapore Grand Prix fallout prompts team tensions

With the Marina Bay event’s doubtless extensive and stressful post-race analyses concluded, the Woking-based squad will be hoping for a fresh start. Norris was almost certainly more than aware of the historical context regarding his retort toward his upset colleague during the previous grand prix weekend. In a fiercely contested championship duel with the Australian, his reference to 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 great rivalries.

“If you fault me for just going an inside move of a big gap then you should not be in F1,” Norris said regarding his first-lap move to pass that led to the cars colliding.

His comment appeared to paraphrase the Brazilian legend's “If you no longer go for a gap which is there you are no longer a true racer” defence he gave to Sir Jackie Stewart after he ploughed into Alain Prost at Suzuka in 1990, securing him the title.

Similar spirit yet distinct situations

Although the attitude is similar, the wording marks where parallels stop. The late champion confessed he had no intent of letting Prost beat him through the first corner while Norris did try to execute a clean overtake at the Marina Bay circuit. In fact, his maneuver was legitimate that went unpenalised even with the glancing blow he had with his team colleague as he went through. This incident stemmed from him clipping the car driven by Verstappen in front of him.

The Australian responded angrily and, notably, immediately declared that Norris's position gain was “unfair”; suggesting that the two teammates clashing was verboten by team protocols for racing and Norris should be instructed to return the place he had made. McLaren did not do so, yet it demonstrated that in any cases between them, each would quickly ask the squad to step in on his behalf.

Squad management and impartiality being examined

This comes naturally from McLaren's commendable approach to let their drivers race one another and to try to be as scrupulously fair. Quite apart from creating complex dilemmas in setting precedents about what defines just or unjust – which, under these auspices, now includes bad luck, strategy and on-track occurrences such as in Singapore – there is the question regarding opinions.

Most crucially for the championship, six races left, Piastri leads 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. That is when the amicable relationship between the two could eventually – turn somewhat into the iconic rivalry.

“It will reach a point where minor points count,” said Mercedes boss Toto Wolff after Singapore. “Then they’ll start to calculate and back-calculate and I guess aggression will increase 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 an on-track confrontation instead of a data-driven decision of circumstances. Especially since for F1 the other impression 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 clinched their tenth team championship at Marina Bay (though a great achievement overshadowed by the fuss prompted by their drivers' clash) and with Stella as squad leader they have an ethical and principled leader who truly aims to act correctly.

Racing purity versus squad control

Yet having drivers in a championship fight looking to the pitwall to decide matters appears unsightly. Their competition 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, rather than the sense that every disputed moment will be pored over by the team to determine if they need to intervene and subsequently resolved later in private.

The scrutiny will increase and each time it happens it is in danger of possibly affecting outcomes which might prove decisive. Previously, following the team's decision for position swaps at Monza because Norris had endured a slow pit stop and Piastri believing he had been hard done by regarding tactics in Budapest, where Norris won, the shadow of concern about bias also emerges.

Squad viewpoint and upcoming tests

Nobody desires to witness a championship constantly disputed over perceived that the efforts to be fair were unequal. Questioned whether he believed the squad had managed to do right by both drivers, Piastri responded that they did, but mentioned it's a developing process.

“There’s been some difficult situations and we’ve spoken about a number of things,” he stated post-race. “However finally it's educational with the whole team.”

Six races stay. McLaren have little wriggle room left to do their cramming, thus perhaps wiser now to simply close the books and withdraw from the fray.