Norris compared to Ayrton Senna and Piastri likened to Prost? No, however the team must hope championship is settled on track

The British racing team and F1 could do with any conclusive outcome during this championship battle involving Norris and Oscar Piastri getting resolved through on-track action and without resorting to team orders with the title run-in kicks off at the Circuit of the Americas starting Friday.

Marina Bay race fallout leads to team tensions

After the Singapore Grand Prix’s doubtless extensive and stressful post-race analyses dealt with, McLaren is aiming for a reset. The British driver was likely fully conscious about the historical parallels of his riposte to his aggrieved teammate during the previous race weekend. In a fiercely contested championship duel with the Australian, his reference to a famous Senna most famous sentiments did not go unnoticed yet the occurrence that provoked his comment differed completely from incidents characterizing Senna's great rivalries.

“Should you criticize me for just going on the inside of a big gap then you should not be in F1,” Norris said of his opening-lap attempt to overtake which resulted in their vehicles making contact.

The remark 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 Alain Prost at Suzuka back in 1990, securing him the championship.

Parallel mindset but different circumstances

While the spirit is similar, the wording marks where parallels stop. The late champion confessed he had no intent to allow Prost beat him through the first corner whereas Norris did try to make his pass cleanly at the Marina Bay circuit. Indeed, it was a perfectly valid effort that went unpenalised even with the glancing blow he had with his team colleague during the pass. This incident was a result of him clipping the Red Bull driven by Verstappen ahead of him.

Piastri reacted furiously and, notably, immediately declared that Norris gaining the place was “unfair”; the implication being their collision was verboten under McLaren’s rules for racing and Norris should be instructed to return the position he gained. The team refused, but it was indicative that in any cases between them, both will promptly appeal the squad to intervene in their favor.

Squad management and fairness under scrutiny

This is part and parcel from McLaren's commendable approach to let their drivers race one another and strive to maintain strict fairness. Aside from creating complex dilemmas when establishing rules over what constitutes just or unjust – under these conditions, now covers misfortune, strategy and on-track occurrences such as in Singapore – there is the question regarding opinions.

Most crucially to the title race, six races left, Piastri leads Norris by twenty-two points, each racer's view exists as fair and when their opinion may diverge with that of the McLaren pitwall. That is when their friendly rapport between the two may – finally – become a little bit more the iconic rivalry.

“It will reach to a situation where a few points will matter,” commented Mercedes boss Toto Wolff after Singapore. “Then they’ll start to calculate and re-calculations and I suppose the elbows are going to come out a bit more. That's when it begins to become thrilling.”

Audience expectations and championship implications

For spectators, in what is a two-horse race, increased excitement will probably be welcomed in the form of a track duel rather than a spreadsheet-based arbitration regarding incidents. Not least because in Formula One the alternative perception from all this is not particularly rousing.

Honestly speaking, McLaren is taking the correct decisions for themselves with successful results. They secured their 10th constructors’ title at Marina Bay (though a great achievement overshadowed 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.

Sporting integrity versus squad control

However, with racers competing for the title appealing to the team to decide matters is unedifying. Their contest 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, rather than the sense that each contentious incident will be analyzed intensely by the team to ascertain whether they need to intervene and then cleared up later in private.

The examination will increase with every occurrence it risks possibly affecting outcomes which might prove decisive. Previously, after the team made for position swaps at Monza due to Norris experiencing a slow pit stop and Piastri believing he was treated unfairly regarding tactics at Hungary, where Norris won, the shadow of concern of favouritism also looms.

Squad viewpoint and upcoming tests

Nobody desires to see a title endlessly debated because it may be considered that fairness attempts were unequal. When asked if he believed the squad had acted correctly by both drivers, Piastri responded that they did, but noted that it was an ever-evolving approach.

“We've had several difficult situations and we discussed a number of things,” he stated after Singapore. “However finally it's educational with the whole team.”

Six races stay. McLaren have little room for error to do their cramming, so it may be better now to simply close the books and withdraw from the conflict.