🔗 Share this article

The British racing team and Formula One could do with any conclusive outcome during this title fight involving Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri getting resolved on the track rather than without reference to the pit wall as the title run-in begins this weekend at COTA starting Friday.

Singapore Grand Prix aftermath prompts internal strain

After the Marina Bay event’s doubtless extensive and stressful debriefs dealt with, the Woking-based squad is aiming for a fresh start. The British driver was almost certainly more than aware about the historical parallels of his riposte toward his upset colleague during the previous grand prix weekend. During an intense title fight with the Australian, that Norris invoked one of Ayrton Senna’s most famous sentiments did not go unnoticed but the incident that provoked his comment was of an entirely different nature from incidents characterizing Senna's great rivalries.

“Should you criticize me for just going on the inside through an opening then you don't belong in Formula One,” Norris said of his opening-lap attempt to pass that led to their vehicles making contact.

The remark seemed to echo the Brazilian legend's “If you no longer go an available gap that exists then you cease to be a true racer” defence he gave to the racing knight after he ploughed into the French champion in Japan in 1990, ensuring he took the title.

Parallel mindset but different circumstances

While the spirit remains comparable, the wording is where the similarities end. The late champion confessed he had no intent to allow Prost beat 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 McLaren teammate during the pass. That itself was a result of him touching the car of Max Verstappen ahead of him.

Piastri reacted furiously and, notably, instantly stated that Norris gaining the place seemed unjust; suggesting that the two teammates clashing was forbidden by team protocols of engagement and Norris should be instructed to give back the position he gained. The team refused, yet it demonstrated that during disputes between them, both will promptly appeal to the team to intervene in their favor.

Team dynamics and impartiality under scrutiny

This comes naturally of McLaren’s laudable efforts to let their drivers race one another and to try to maintain strict fairness. Quite apart from tying some torturous knots in setting precedents about what defines just or unjust – which, under these auspices, now includes bad luck, strategy and racing incidents like in Marina Bay – there remains the issue of perception.

Of most import to the title race, with six meetings remaining, Piastri leads Norris by twenty-two points, there is what each driver perceives as fair and at what point their perspectives might split with that of the McLaren pitwall. That is when the amicable relationship 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 after Singapore. “Then they’ll start to calculate and re-calculations and I guess aggression will increase further. That's when it begins to get interesting.”

Audience expectations and championship implications

For the audience, in what is a two-horse race, getting interesting will likely be appreciated as an on-track confrontation rather than a spreadsheet-based arbitration regarding incidents. Especially since in Formula One the other impression from all this is not particularly rousing.

Honestly speaking, McLaren is taking the correct decisions for themselves and it has paid off. They secured their tenth team championship at Marina Bay (though a great achievement overshadowed by the controversy from their drivers' clash) and with Stella as squad leader they have an ethical and upright commander who genuinely wants to do the right thing.

Racing purity versus squad control

Yet having drivers in a championship fight looking to the pitwall to decide matters is unedifying. Their competition ought to be determined on track. Chance and fate will play their part, yet preferable to allow 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 then cleared up later in private.

The examination will increase with every occurrence it risks possibly affecting outcomes which might prove decisive. Previously, following the team's decision their drivers swap places in Italy because Norris had endured a slow pit stop and Piastri believing he had been hard done by with the strategy call at Hungary, where Norris won, the shadow of concern about bias also emerges.

Squad viewpoint and future challenges

Nobody desires to see a title endlessly debated over perceived that fairness attempts had not been balanced. Questioned whether he believed the squad had managed to do right by both drivers, Piastri said that they did, but noted it's a developing process.

“We've had several difficult situations and we discussed various aspects,” he said after Singapore. “But ultimately it’s a learning process with the whole team.”

Six meetings remain. McLaren have little room for error to do their cramming, so it may be better now to simply stop analyzing and step back from the fray.