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McLaren and F1 would benefit from anything decisive during this title fight between Lando Norris & Piastri getting resolved through on-track action and without resorting to team orders with the title run-in begins this weekend at Circuit of the Americas on Friday.

Marina Bay race aftermath leads to team tensions

With the Singapore Grand Prix’s doubtless extensive and stressful post-race analyses dealt with, the Woking-based squad is aiming for a reset. The British driver was likely more than aware of the historical context regarding his retort toward his upset colleague at the last race weekend. During an intense championship duel against Piastri, his reference to one of Ayrton Senna’s most famous sentiments was lost on no one but the incident that provoked his comment was of an entirely different nature from incidents characterizing the Brazilian’s great rivalries.

“Should you criticize me for just going an inside move of a big gap then you don't belong in F1,” Norris said regarding his first-lap move to overtake which resulted in the cars colliding.

His comment appeared to paraphrase the Brazilian legend's “If you no longer go for a gap that exists then you cease to be a true racer” defence he provided to the racing knight following his collision with Alain Prost at Suzuka in 1990, securing him the championship.

Parallel mindset yet distinct situations

While the spirit is similar, the wording is where the similarities end. The late champion confessed he never intended to allow Prost beat him through the first corner while Norris attempted to make his pass cleanly at the Marina Bay circuit. In fact, it was a perfectly valid effort which received no penalty despite the minor contact he had with his McLaren teammate as he went through. This incident stemmed from him touching the car of Max Verstappen ahead of him.

The Australian responded angrily and, significantly, instantly stated that Norris's position gain seemed unjust; suggesting that the two teammates clashing was forbidden by team protocols for racing and Norris ought to be told to return the position he gained. McLaren did not do so, but it was indicative that in any cases between them, each would quickly ask to the team to intervene on his behalf.

Squad management and impartiality being examined

This is part and parcel from McLaren's commendable approach to let their drivers race against each other and strive to be as scrupulously fair. Aside from creating complex dilemmas in setting precedents over what constitutes just or unjust – which, under these auspices, now covers bad luck, strategy and racing incidents like in Marina Bay – there remains the issue of perception.

Most crucially to the title race, six races left, Piastri is ahead of Norris by twenty-two points, there is what each driver perceives as fair and when their opinion may diverge with that of the McLaren pitwall. That is when their friendly rapport between the two may – finally – turn somewhat into the iconic rivalry.

“It will reach to a situation where minor points count,” commented Mercedes boss Toto Wolff post-race. “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 spectators, during this dual battle, increased excitement will likely be appreciated as a track duel instead of a data-driven decision regarding incidents. Especially since for F1 the other impression from all this is not particularly rousing.

Honestly speaking, McLaren are making appropriate choices for their interests with successful results. They clinched their tenth team championship at Marina Bay (albeit a brilliant success overshadowed by the controversy from their drivers' clash) and in Andrea Stella as team principal they have an ethical and principled leader who truly aims to act correctly.

Sporting integrity versus team management

However, with racers in a championship fight looking to the pitwall to decide matters appears unsightly. Their contest should be decided on track. Luck and destiny 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 squad to determine if 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, after the team made for position swaps in Italy because Norris had endured a slow pit stop and Piastri feeling he had been hard done by with the strategy call in Budapest, where Norris won, the spectre of a fear about bias also looms.

Squad viewpoint and future challenges

No one wants to witness a championship constantly disputed over perceived that fairness attempts had not been balanced. Questioned whether he felt the team had managed to do right by both drivers, Piastri said that they did, but noted it's a developing process.

“There’s been some difficult situations and we’ve spoken about various aspects,” he said after Singapore. “But ultimately it’s a learning process for the entire squad.”

Six meetings remain. The team has minimal wriggle room left for last-minute adjustments, so it may be better to just close the books and step back from the fray.