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McLaren and Formula One could do with any conclusive outcome in the title fight involving Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri getting resolved on the track and without reference to the pit wall with the championship finale kicks off this weekend at Circuit of the Americas starting Friday.

Marina Bay race aftermath leads to team tensions

After the Marina Bay event’s doubtless extensive and stressful post-race analyses concluded, McLaren will be hoping for a fresh start. Norris was almost certainly more than aware about the historical parallels regarding his retort to his aggrieved teammate at the last race weekend. In a fiercely contested championship duel against Piastri, his reference to one of Ayrton Senna’s most famous sentiments did not go unnoticed but the incident that provoked his comment differed completely from incidents characterizing the Brazilian’s great rivalries.

“Should you criticize me for simply attempting an inside move of a big gap then you should not be in Formula One,” stated Norris of his opening-lap attempt to pass which resulted in their vehicles making contact.

His comment seemed to echo Senna’s “If you no longer go an available gap that exists then you cease to be a true racer” justification he gave to the racing knight after he ploughed into the French champion in Japan in 1990, ensuring he took the title.

Similar spirit yet distinct situations

Although the attitude is similar, the wording is where the similarities end. The late champion confessed he had no intent of letting Prost beat him at turn one while Norris attempted to execute a clean overtake in Singapore. In fact, his maneuver was legitimate which received no penalty despite the minor contact he had with his McLaren teammate during the pass. That itself was a result of him touching the car of Max Verstappen in front of him.

Piastri reacted furiously and, significantly, instantly stated that Norris's position gain was “unfair”; the implication being the two teammates clashing was forbidden by team protocols for racing and Norris ought to be told to give back the position he gained. The team refused, but it was indicative that in any cases between them, each would quickly ask the squad to intervene in their favor.

Team dynamics and fairness under scrutiny

This is part and parcel of McLaren’s laudable efforts to allow their racers compete one another and to try to be as scrupulously fair. Aside from tying some torturous knots when establishing rules over what constitutes just or unjust – which, under these auspices, now includes misfortune, tactical calls and on-track occurrences like in Marina Bay – there is the question of perception.

Most crucially for the championship, six races left, Piastri leads Norris by 22 points, there is what each driver perceives on fairness and at what point their opinion may diverge from the team's stance. Which is when the amicable relationship between the two could eventually – turn somewhat into Senna-Prost.

“It’s going to come to a situation where minor points count,” said Mercedes boss Toto Wolff after Singapore. “Then calculations will begin and back-calculate and I suppose aggression will increase a bit more. That’s when it starts to become thrilling.”

Viewer desires and title consequences

For spectators, in what is a two-horse race, getting interesting will probably be welcomed as a track duel rather than a data-driven decision of circumstances. Not least because in Formula One the other impression from these events isn't very inspiring.

Honestly speaking, McLaren is taking the correct decisions for themselves with successful results. They secured their tenth team championship at Marina Bay (albeit a brilliant success overshadowed by the fuss prompted by their drivers' clash) and in Andrea Stella as team principal they have an ethical and upright commander who truly aims to act correctly.

Racing purity against team management

However, with racers in a championship fight looking to the pitwall to decide matters is unedifying. Their competition ought to be determined on track. Luck and destiny will play their part, but better to let them simply go at it and observe outcomes naturally, 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 afterwards behind closed doors.

The examination will intensify and each time it happens it is in danger of possibly affecting outcomes which might prove decisive. Already, following the team's decision their drivers swap places in Italy because Norris had endured a slow pit stop and Piastri feeling he was treated unfairly with the strategy call in Budapest, where Norris triumphed, the spectre of a fear of favouritism also emerges.

Squad viewpoint and future challenges

No one wants to witness a championship constantly disputed because it may be considered that fairness attempts were unequal. When asked if he believed the squad had acted correctly by both drivers, Piastri said that they did, but noted that it was an ever-evolving approach.

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

Six meetings remain. The team has minimal room for error to do their cramming, so it may be better to just close the books and step back from the fray.