Norris as Ayrton Senna and Oscar Piastri as Alain Prost? No, but McLaren must hope title is settled on track

The British racing team and Formula One could do with anything decisive during this title fight between Lando Norris and Piastri getting resolved on the track and without reference to the pit wall with the championship finale begins this weekend at COTA starting Friday.

Singapore Grand Prix fallout leads to team tensions

With the Marina Bay event’s undoubtedly thorough and tense debriefs dealt with, the Woking-based squad will be hoping for a reset. The British driver was almost certainly more than aware about the historical parallels regarding his retort to his aggrieved teammate at the last race weekend. During an intense championship duel with the Australian, his reference to a famous Senna most famous sentiments did not go unnoticed but the incident that provoked his comment was of an entirely different nature from incidents characterizing the Brazilian’s iconic battles.

“Should you criticize me for simply attempting an inside move through an opening then you don't belong in F1,” Norris said regarding his first-lap move to overtake which resulted in their vehicles making contact.

The remark appeared to paraphrase Senna’s “Should you stop attempting for a gap which is there then you cease to be a racing driver” justification he provided to Sir Jackie Stewart following his collision with Alain Prost in Japan in 1990, ensuring he took the title.

Parallel mindset but different circumstances

While the spirit remains comparable, the phrasing is where the similarities end. The late champion confessed he had no intent of letting Prost to defeat him at turn one while Norris did try to make his pass cleanly at the Marina Bay circuit. Indeed, his maneuver was legitimate which received no penalty even with the glancing blow he made against his team colleague as he went through. This incident stemmed from him clipping the car driven by Verstappen ahead of him.

Piastri reacted furiously and, significantly, immediately declared that Norris gaining the place seemed unjust; the implication being the two teammates clashing was verboten by team protocols for racing and Norris ought to be told to give back the position he gained. McLaren did not do so, yet it demonstrated that during disputes between them, both will promptly appeal the squad to intervene in their favor.

Squad management and fairness under scrutiny

This comes naturally from McLaren's commendable approach to let their drivers race one another and strive to maintain strict fairness. Aside from tying some torturous knots in setting precedents over what constitutes just or unjust – which, under these auspices, now includes misfortune, strategy and racing incidents such as in Singapore – there remains the issue regarding opinions.

Of most import to the title race, with six meetings remaining, Piastri is ahead of Norris by twenty-two points, there is what each driver perceives as fair and when their opinion may diverge from the team's stance. That is when the amicable relationship among them may – finally – turn somewhat into Senna-Prost.

“It’s going to come to a situation where minor points count,” said Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff post-race. “Then calculations will begin and re-calculations and I guess aggression will increase a bit more. That's when it begins to get interesting.”

Audience expectations and championship implications

For the audience, during this dual battle, getting interesting will probably be welcomed in the form of a track duel instead of a spreadsheet-based arbitration of circumstances. Especially since for F1 the alternative perception from all this is not particularly rousing.

Honestly speaking, McLaren is taking appropriate choices for their interests and it has paid off. They secured their 10th constructors’ title in Singapore (albeit a brilliant success diminished by the controversy from their drivers' clash) and with Stella as squad leader they possess a moral and upright commander who truly aims to act correctly.

Sporting integrity against squad control

Yet having drivers in a championship fight looking to the pitwall for resolutions appears unsightly. Their contest should be decided on track. Luck and destiny will have roles, 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 intervention is needed and subsequently resolved later in private.

The scrutiny will intensify with every occurrence it risks possibly affecting outcomes that could be critical. Previously, after the team made for position swaps in Italy because Norris had endured a slow pit stop and Piastri believing he was treated unfairly regarding tactics in Budapest, where Norris won, the shadow of concern of favouritism also looms.

Squad viewpoint and future challenges

No one wants to see a title endlessly debated over perceived that fairness attempts had not been balanced. When asked if he believed the squad had acted correctly by both drivers, Piastri responded he believed they had, but noted that it was an ever-evolving approach.

“We've had several difficult situations and we’ve spoken about various aspects,” he said after Singapore. “However finally it's educational for the entire squad.”

Six meetings remain. The team has minimal wriggle room left to do their cramming, thus perhaps wiser to just close the books and step back from the fray.