🔗 Share this article

McLaren and F1 could do with any conclusive outcome in the title fight between Norris & Piastri being decided on the track rather than without resorting to team orders with the title run-in begins this weekend at Circuit of the Americas on Friday.

Marina Bay race fallout leads to team tensions

After the Marina Bay event’s doubtless extensive and stressful post-race analyses dealt with, the Woking-based squad is aiming for a fresh start. Norris was almost certainly fully conscious about the historical parallels of his riposte toward his upset colleague at the last grand prix weekend. During an intense title fight against Piastri, his reference to one of Ayrton Senna’s well-known quotes was lost on no one yet the occurrence which triggered his statement was of an entirely different nature from incidents characterizing Senna's great rivalries.

“Should you criticize me for simply attempting an inside move of a big gap then you should not be in F1,” Norris said of his opening-lap attempt to pass which resulted in the cars colliding.

His comment appeared to paraphrase the Brazilian legend's “If you no longer go an available gap that exists then you cease to be a racing driver” justification he provided to the racing knight following his collision with the French champion at Suzuka in 1990, ensuring he took the title.

Similar spirit yet distinct situations

While the spirit remains comparable, the wording is where the similarities end. 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. In fact, it was a perfectly valid effort which received no penalty even with the glancing blow he made against his McLaren teammate as he went through. This incident was a result of him clipping the Red Bull of Max Verstappen ahead of him.

Piastri reacted furiously and, notably, immediately declared that Norris's position gain was “unfair”; suggesting that the two teammates clashing was verboten by team protocols for racing and Norris ought to be told to return the place he had made. McLaren did not do so, yet it demonstrated that in any cases between them, each would quickly ask the squad to intervene in their favor.

Team dynamics and fairness under scrutiny

This comes naturally of McLaren’s laudable efforts to let their drivers race one another and to try to be as scrupulously fair. Aside from creating complex dilemmas when establishing rules over what constitutes just or unjust – under these conditions, now includes bad luck, tactical calls and racing incidents such as in Singapore – there remains the issue regarding opinions.

Most crucially to the title race, six races left, Piastri is ahead of Norris by 22 points, each racer's view exists on fairness and when their opinion may diverge with that of the McLaren pitwall. Which is when their friendly rapport among them could eventually – turn somewhat into Senna-Prost.

“It’s going to come a point where minor points count,” commented Mercedes boss Wolff post-race. “Then they’ll start to calculate and re-calculations and I suppose aggression will increase a bit more. That’s when it starts to get interesting.”

Viewer desires and title consequences

For the audience, during this dual battle, getting interesting will probably be welcomed in the form of a track duel rather than a spreadsheet-based arbitration regarding incidents. Not least because for F1 the alternative perception from all this isn't very inspiring.

Honestly speaking, McLaren is taking the correct decisions for themselves and it has paid off. They clinched their 10th constructors’ title at Marina Bay (though a great achievement overshadowed by the fuss prompted by their drivers' clash) and with Stella as squad leader they possess a moral and principled leader who genuinely wants to do the right thing.

Sporting integrity versus squad control

However, with racers in a championship fight looking to the pitwall to decide matters is unedifying. Their competition 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 pored over by the squad to ascertain whether intervention is needed and subsequently resolved afterwards behind closed doors.

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 due to Norris experiencing a delayed stop and Piastri feeling he was treated unfairly regarding tactics in Budapest, where Norris triumphed, the spectre of a fear of favouritism also looms.

Squad viewpoint and future challenges

Nobody desires to witness a championship endlessly debated over perceived that the efforts to be fair were unequal. Questioned whether he felt the team had acted correctly toward both racers, Piastri said that they did, but noted it's a developing process.

“We've had several difficult situations and we’ve spoken about various aspects,” he said post-race. “However finally it’s a learning process with the whole team.”

Six meetings remain. McLaren have little wriggle room left for last-minute adjustments, so it may be better now to simply stop analyzing and withdraw from the conflict.