🔗 Share this article

The British racing team and F1 could do with anything decisive during this title fight between Norris and Oscar Piastri getting resolved on the track and without reference to the pit wall with the championship finale kicks off at the Circuit of the Americas on Friday.

Marina Bay race fallout prompts team tensions

With the Marina Bay event’s doubtless extensive and stressful debriefs concluded, the Woking-based squad will be hoping for a reset. The British driver was almost certainly fully conscious of the historical context of his riposte to his aggrieved teammate during the previous grand prix weekend. During an intense title fight against Piastri, his reference to a famous Senna 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 great rivalries.

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

The remark seemed to echo Senna’s “Should you stop attempting for a gap which is there you are no longer a true racer” justification he gave to the racing knight following his collision with the French champion at Suzuka in 1990, securing him the title.

Parallel mindset yet distinct situations

While the spirit remains comparable, the wording marks where parallels stop. The late champion confessed he had no intent of letting Prost beat him at turn one while Norris attempted to execute a clean overtake 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 as he went through. That itself stemmed from him touching the Red Bull driven by Verstappen in front of him.

Piastri reacted furiously and, notably, immediately declared that Norris gaining the place was “unfair”; the implication being the two teammates clashing was forbidden by team protocols for racing and Norris should be instructed to return the position he gained. McLaren did not do so, but it was indicative that during disputes of contention, each would quickly ask to the team to intervene on his behalf.

Squad management and fairness being examined

This is part and parcel from McLaren's commendable approach to allow their racers compete one another and to try to maintain strict fairness. Aside from creating complex dilemmas in setting precedents about what defines just or unjust – under these conditions, now covers misfortune, tactical calls and on-track occurrences such as in Singapore – there is the question regarding opinions.

Of most import to the title race, six races left, Piastri is ahead of 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 may – finally – turn somewhat into the iconic rivalry.

“It’s going to come a point where a few points will matter,” commented Mercedes boss Wolff after Singapore. “Then they’ll start to calculate and back-calculate and I suppose aggression will increase a bit more. That’s when it starts to become thrilling.”

Viewer desires and championship implications

For the audience, in what is a two-horse race, increased excitement will probably be welcomed in the form of a track duel instead of a spreadsheet-based arbitration of circumstances. Not least because in Formula One the other impression from these events is not particularly rousing.

Honestly speaking, McLaren are making the correct decisions for themselves with successful results. They clinched their 10th constructors’ title at Marina Bay (albeit a brilliant success diminished by the fuss prompted by the Norris-Piastri moment) and in Andrea Stella as team principal they possess a moral and upright commander who genuinely wants to act correctly.

Racing purity versus team management

Yet having drivers competing for the title looking to the pitwall to decide matters appears unsightly. Their competition ought to be determined on track. Chance and fate will have roles, 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 they need to intervene and subsequently resolved later in private.

The examination will increase with every occurrence it risks potentially making a difference which might prove decisive. Previously, following the team's decision for position swaps in Italy 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.

Squad viewpoint and future challenges

No one wants to see a title endlessly debated because it may be considered that the efforts to be fair were unequal. When asked if he believed the squad had acted correctly 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 said post-race. “But ultimately it’s a learning process with the whole team.”

Six meetings remain. The team has minimal room for error for last-minute adjustments, thus perhaps wiser now to simply close the books and withdraw from the fray.