Lando Norris as Ayrton Senna versus Oscar Piastri as Prost? No, but the team needs to pray championship is settled on track

The British racing team along with Formula One could do with anything decisive during this championship battle between Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri getting resolved on the track rather than without reference to the pit wall with the title run-in begins this weekend at COTA starting Friday.

Marina Bay race aftermath prompts team tensions

After the Singapore Grand Prix’s undoubtedly thorough and stressful debriefs dealt with, the Woking-based squad is aiming for a fresh start. Norris was likely fully conscious of the historical context regarding his retort to his aggrieved teammate at the last grand prix weekend. During an intense title fight with the Australian, that Norris invoked 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.

“If you fault me for simply attempting an inside move of a big gap then you should not be in F1,” stated Norris of his opening-lap attempt to overtake that led to the cars colliding.

The remark appeared to paraphrase Senna’s “If you no longer go an available gap that exists you are no longer a true racer” defence he provided to Sir Jackie Stewart following his collision with the French champion at Suzuka back in 1990, ensuring he took the title.

Parallel mindset yet distinct situations

While the spirit remains comparable, the wording marks where parallels stop. Senna later admitted he had no intent of letting Prost to defeat him at turn one whereas Norris attempted to execute a clean overtake at the Marina Bay circuit. Indeed, his maneuver was legitimate which received no penalty even with the glancing blow he had with his McLaren teammate as he went through. That itself was a result of him touching the car driven by Verstappen in front of him.

The Australian responded angrily and, significantly, immediately declared that Norris gaining the place was “unfair”; suggesting that the two teammates clashing was forbidden by team protocols of engagement and Norris should be instructed to give back the position he gained. McLaren did not do so, but it was indicative that during disputes between them, both will promptly appeal to the team to step in on his behalf.

Squad management and fairness under scrutiny

This comes naturally 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 in setting precedents over what constitutes just or unjust – under these conditions, now includes bad luck, tactical calls and on-track occurrences like in Marina Bay – there is the question regarding opinions.

Most crucially for the championship, with six meetings remaining, Piastri leads Norris by twenty-two points, each racer's view exists on fairness and at what point their opinion may diverge with that of the McLaren pitwall. Which is when the amicable relationship among them could eventually – turn somewhat into the iconic rivalry.

“It’s going to come a point where a few points will matter,” said Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff post-race. “Then they’ll start to calculate and back-calculate and I guess the elbows are going to come out a bit more. That's when it begins to get interesting.”

Viewer desires and title consequences

For the audience, in what is a two-horse race, getting interesting will probably be welcomed in the form of an on-track confrontation instead of a spreadsheet-based arbitration of circumstances. Not least because for F1 the alternative perception from these events is not particularly rousing.

To be fair, McLaren are making the correct decisions for their interests and it has paid off. They secured their 10th constructors’ title in Singapore (though a great achievement diminished by the controversy from the Norris-Piastri moment) and with Stella as squad leader they have an ethical and upright commander who truly aims to do the right thing.

Racing purity versus team management

Yet having drivers in a championship fight appealing to the team to decide matters appears unsightly. Their competition should be decided through racing. Chance and fate will play their part, yet preferable to allow them simply go at it and see how fortune falls, than the impression that each contentious incident will be pored over by the squad to determine if intervention is needed and then cleared up afterwards behind closed doors.

The examination will increase with every occurrence it risks possibly affecting outcomes which might prove decisive. Previously, following the team's decision their drivers swap places at Monza because Norris had endured a delayed stop and Piastri believing he was treated unfairly regarding tactics at Hungary, where Norris triumphed, the spectre of a fear of favouritism also looms.

Team perspective and upcoming tests

No one wants to witness a championship constantly disputed over perceived that the efforts to be fair had not been balanced. Questioned whether he believed the squad had managed to do right by both drivers, Piastri responded that they did, but mentioned that it was an ever-evolving approach.

“We've had several difficult situations and we’ve spoken about a number of things,” he stated post-race. “But ultimately it’s a learning process with the whole team.”

Six races stay. McLaren have little wriggle room left for last-minute adjustments, thus perhaps wiser to just stop analyzing and withdraw from the fray.