🔗 Share this article

McLaren along with Formula One would benefit from any conclusive outcome in the title fight between Norris & Oscar Piastri being decided through on-track action rather than without resorting to team orders as the title run-in begins at the COTA on Friday.

Singapore Grand Prix aftermath leads to team tensions

After the Singapore Grand Prix’s doubtless extensive and stressful debriefs concluded, the Woking-based squad will be hoping for a reset. The British driver was almost certainly more than aware of the historical context of his riposte toward his upset colleague during the previous race weekend. In a fiercely contested championship duel against Piastri, that Norris invoked one of Ayrton Senna’s well-known quotes did not go unnoticed yet the occurrence which triggered his statement was of an entirely different nature to those that defined Senna's great rivalries.

“If you fault me for just going on the inside through an opening then you don't belong in F1,” stated Norris regarding his first-lap move to overtake that led to the cars colliding.

His comment seemed to echo the Brazilian legend's “Should you stop attempting for a gap that exists you are no longer a true racer” defence he provided to the racing knight after he ploughed into the French champion in Japan in 1990, ensuring he took the championship.

Parallel mindset but different circumstances

Although the attitude remains comparable, the phrasing marks where parallels stop. Senna later admitted he never intended of letting Prost to defeat him through the first corner whereas Norris did try to execute a clean overtake in Singapore. Indeed, it was a perfectly valid effort which received no penalty even with the glancing blow he made against his team colleague during the pass. That itself was a result of him touching the car of Max Verstappen in front of him.

Piastri reacted furiously and, notably, immediately declared that Norris gaining the place was “unfair”; suggesting that their collision was verboten under McLaren’s rules for racing and Norris ought to be told to return the place he had made. The team refused, yet it demonstrated that during disputes between them, each would quickly ask to the team to intervene on his behalf.

Team dynamics and impartiality under scrutiny

This comes naturally of McLaren’s laudable efforts to allow their racers compete one another and to try to be as scrupulously fair. Aside from creating complex dilemmas when establishing rules over what constitutes fair or unfair – which, under these auspices, now includes misfortune, tactical calls and on-track occurrences such as in Singapore – there is the question of perception.

Most crucially for the championship, with six meetings remaining, Piastri leads Norris by 22 points, there is what each driver perceives as fair and when their perspectives might split from the team's stance. Which is when the amicable relationship among them could eventually – become a little bit more the iconic rivalry.

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

Audience expectations and title consequences

For the audience, during this dual battle, increased excitement will likely be appreciated in the form of a track duel rather than 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 themselves and it has paid off. They clinched their tenth team championship in Singapore (albeit a brilliant success diminished by the fuss prompted by the Norris-Piastri moment) and with Stella as squad leader they possess a moral and upright commander who genuinely wants to do the right thing.

Racing purity versus team management

Yet having drivers in a championship fight looking to the pitwall to decide matters appears unsightly. Their contest should be decided through racing. 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 each contentious incident will be analyzed intensely by the team to determine if intervention is needed and then cleared up later in private.

The scrutiny will intensify and each time it happens it is in danger of possibly affecting outcomes that could be critical. Previously, following the team's decision for position swaps at Monza because Norris had endured a delayed stop and Piastri believing he was treated unfairly with the strategy call in Budapest, where Norris triumphed, the shadow of concern of favouritism also emerges.

Squad viewpoint and upcoming tests

No one wants to see a title endlessly debated over perceived that fairness attempts were unequal. When asked if 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.

“There’s been some challenging moments and we’ve spoken about various aspects,” he said post-race. “But ultimately it’s a learning process with the whole team.”

Six meetings remain. The team has minimal wriggle room left to do their cramming, so it may be better now to simply close the books and step back from the fray.