🔗 Share this article

McLaren and F1 would benefit from anything decisive in the title fight between Norris & Piastri being decided on the track and without resorting to the pit wall with the title run-in kicks off this weekend at COTA on Friday.

Marina Bay race fallout prompts internal strain

With the Singapore Grand Prix’s doubtless extensive and stressful post-race analyses concluded, McLaren will be hoping for a reset. Norris was likely more than aware about the historical parallels regarding his retort to his aggrieved teammate during the previous grand prix weekend. In a fiercely contested title fight against Piastri, his reference to a famous Senna well-known quotes was lost on no one yet the occurrence that provoked his comment differed completely from incidents characterizing the Brazilian’s great rivalries.

“If you fault me for just going 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.

His comment seemed to echo the Brazilian legend's “Should you stop attempting for a gap that exists you are no longer a racing driver” defence he gave to Sir Jackie Stewart following his collision with Alain Prost at Suzuka back in 1990, ensuring he took the title.

Similar spirit but different circumstances

Although the attitude is similar, the phrasing is where the similarities end. The late champion confessed he never intended to allow Prost to defeat him at turn one while Norris attempted to make his pass cleanly in Singapore. Indeed, his maneuver was legitimate that went unpenalised even with the glancing blow he made against his team colleague during the pass. That itself stemmed from him clipping the Red Bull of Max Verstappen ahead of him.

The Australian responded angrily and, notably, instantly stated that Norris's position gain was “unfair”; the implication being their collision was verboten by team protocols of engagement and Norris should be instructed to return the place he had made. McLaren did not do so, yet it demonstrated that during disputes between them, both will promptly appeal the squad to intervene on his behalf.

Squad management and impartiality under scrutiny

This is part and parcel of McLaren’s laudable efforts to allow their racers compete one another and strive to be as scrupulously fair. Quite apart from tying some torturous knots in setting precedents about what defines just or unjust – which, under these auspices, now covers misfortune, strategy and racing incidents such as in Singapore – there remains the issue regarding opinions.

Most crucially for the championship, six races left, Piastri is ahead of Norris by twenty-two points, there is what each driver perceives on fairness and when their perspectives might split from the team's stance. Which is when their friendly rapport among them may – finally – become a little bit more Senna-Prost.

“It will reach a point where a few points will matter,” said Mercedes boss Toto Wolff post-race. “Then they’ll start to calculate and back-calculate and I suppose aggression will increase a bit more. That's when it begins to become thrilling.”

Viewer desires and title consequences

For spectators, during this dual battle, getting interesting 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.

Honestly speaking, McLaren is taking the correct decisions for themselves and it has paid off. They clinched their tenth team championship at Marina Bay (though a great achievement diminished by the controversy from the Norris-Piastri moment) and in Andrea Stella as squad leader they have an ethical and principled leader who genuinely wants to do the right thing.

Racing purity against squad control

However, with racers competing for the title looking to the pitwall for resolutions appears unsightly. Their contest ought to be determined through racing. Chance and fate will play their part, yet preferable to allow them just battle freely and observe outcomes naturally, than the impression that every disputed moment will be analyzed intensely by the team to determine if intervention is needed and then cleared up later in private.

The examination will intensify and each time it happens it is in danger of potentially making a difference that could be critical. Previously, after the team made for position swaps at Monza because Norris had endured a slow pit stop and Piastri feeling he had been hard done by regarding tactics in Budapest, where Norris won, the shadow of concern of favouritism also looms.

Team perspective and upcoming tests

Nobody desires to see a title constantly disputed because it may be considered that the efforts to be fair had not been balanced. When asked if he believed the squad had acted correctly by both drivers, Piastri responded he believed they had, but mentioned it's a developing process.

“There’s been some challenging moments and we’ve spoken about a number of things,” he said post-race. “But ultimately it's educational with the whole team.”

Six races stay. McLaren have little room for error to do their cramming, thus perhaps wiser to just stop analyzing and withdraw from the fray.