🔗 Share this article

McLaren and F1 could do with any conclusive outcome in the championship battle between Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri getting resolved on the track rather than without resorting to the pit wall as the championship finale begins at the COTA starting Friday.

Singapore Grand Prix fallout leads to team tensions

With the Singapore Grand Prix’s doubtless extensive and tense debriefs concluded, McLaren is aiming for a fresh start. The British driver was almost certainly more than aware of the historical context regarding his retort to his aggrieved teammate at the last grand prix weekend. During an intense championship duel against Piastri, that Norris invoked a famous Senna most famous sentiments was lost on no one yet the occurrence that provoked his comment differed completely from incidents characterizing Senna's iconic battles.

“Should you criticize 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 pass that led to their vehicles making contact.

His comment seemed to echo the Brazilian legend's “Should you stop attempting for a gap that exists then you cease to be a true racer” defence he gave to Sir Jackie Stewart after he ploughed into the French champion in Japan in 1990, ensuring he took the title.

Parallel mindset yet distinct situations

While the spirit remains comparable, the phrasing is where the similarities end. The late champion confessed he never intended of letting Prost beat him at turn one while Norris did try to make his pass cleanly at the Marina Bay circuit. In fact, his maneuver was legitimate which received no penalty even with the glancing blow he had with his McLaren teammate as he went through. This incident was a result of him touching the car driven by Verstappen in front of him.

The Australian responded angrily and, notably, immediately declared that Norris's position gain was “unfair”; suggesting that their collision was forbidden by team protocols of engagement and Norris ought to be told to return the place he had made. McLaren did not do so, but it was indicative that in any cases of contention, both will promptly appeal the squad to intervene in their favor.

Squad management and fairness being examined

This comes naturally of McLaren’s laudable efforts to let their drivers race one another and to try to be as scrupulously fair. Quite apart from tying some torturous knots when establishing rules over what constitutes just or unjust – which, under these auspices, now covers misfortune, strategy and racing incidents like in Marina Bay – there is the question of perception.

Most crucially to the title race, with six meetings remaining, Piastri leads Norris by twenty-two points, each racer's view exists on fairness and at what point their perspectives might split from the team's stance. Which is when their friendly rapport between the two could eventually – turn somewhat into the iconic rivalry.

“It’s going to come a point where minor points count,” commented Mercedes boss Toto Wolff post-race. “Then calculations will begin and re-calculations and I suppose the elbows are going to come out further. That's when it begins to get interesting.”

Audience expectations and title consequences

For spectators, in what is a two-horse race, increased excitement will likely be appreciated in the form of an on-track confrontation instead of a spreadsheet-based arbitration of circumstances. Especially since in Formula One the alternative perception from these events is not particularly rousing.

To be fair, McLaren are making appropriate choices for their interests with successful results. They clinched their tenth team championship in Singapore (though a great achievement diminished by the fuss prompted by the Norris-Piastri moment) and with Stella as team principal they possess a moral and upright commander who truly aims to do the right thing.

Sporting integrity against team management

Yet having drivers in a championship fight looking to the pitwall to decide matters appears unsightly. Their competition ought to be determined 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 every disputed moment will be pored over by the squad to ascertain whether they need to intervene and then cleared up afterwards behind closed doors.

The scrutiny will intensify with every occurrence it risks possibly affecting outcomes which might prove decisive. Already, following the team's decision for position swaps in Italy because Norris had endured a delayed stop and Piastri feeling he was treated unfairly with the strategy call at Hungary, where Norris triumphed, the shadow of concern of favouritism also looms.

Team perspective and future challenges

No one wants to see a title endlessly debated because it may be considered that the efforts to be fair had not been balanced. When asked if he felt the team had acted correctly by both drivers, Piastri responded he believed they had, but noted it's a developing process.

“There’s been some difficult situations and we’ve spoken about a number of things,” he stated post-race. “However finally it’s a learning process for the entire squad.”

Six races stay. McLaren have little wriggle room left for last-minute adjustments, so it may be better to just stop analyzing and step back from the conflict.