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McLaren and Formula One would benefit from any conclusive outcome during this title fight involving Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri being decided on the track and without resorting to team orders with the championship finale kicks off at the Circuit of the Americas starting Friday.

Marina Bay race aftermath leads to team tensions

After the Marina Bay event’s undoubtedly thorough and stressful post-race analyses dealt with, the Woking-based squad is aiming for a fresh start. Norris was likely fully conscious about the historical parallels of his riposte toward his upset colleague during the previous grand prix weekend. During an intense championship duel against Piastri, that Norris invoked a famous Senna most famous sentiments was lost on no one but the incident which triggered his statement was of an entirely different nature to those that defined Senna's iconic battles.

“Should you criticize me for just going on the inside through an opening then you don't belong in Formula One,” stated Norris regarding his first-lap move to overtake which resulted in their vehicles making contact.

His comment appeared to paraphrase the Brazilian legend's “If you no longer go an available gap which is there you are no longer a true racer” defence he provided to Sir Jackie Stewart after he ploughed into Alain Prost in Japan back in 1990, ensuring he took the title.

Similar spirit but different circumstances

While the spirit remains comparable, the phrasing marks where parallels stop. Senna later admitted he had no intent to allow Prost to defeat him through the first corner while Norris attempted to make his pass cleanly in Singapore. In fact, it was a perfectly valid effort which received no penalty despite the minor contact he made against his McLaren teammate during the pass. That itself was a result of him clipping the Red Bull driven by Verstappen in front of him.

Piastri reacted furiously and, notably, instantly stated that Norris gaining the place was “unfair”; the implication being the two teammates clashing was verboten under McLaren’s rules of engagement and Norris should be instructed to return the position he gained. The team refused, but it was indicative that in any cases between them, both will promptly appeal to the team to intervene in their favor.

Squad management and impartiality under scrutiny

This is part and parcel of McLaren’s laudable efforts to let their drivers race against each other and to try to be as scrupulously fair. Aside from tying some torturous knots when establishing rules over what constitutes fair or unfair – under these conditions, now covers misfortune, strategy and racing incidents such as in Singapore – there is the question of perception.

Most crucially to the title race, with six meetings remaining, Piastri is ahead of Norris by twenty-two points, there is what each driver perceives on fairness and at what point their perspectives might split with that of the McLaren pitwall. That is when the amicable relationship among them could eventually – become a little bit more Senna-Prost.

“It will reach a point where minor points count,” commented Mercedes boss Wolff after Singapore. “Then calculations will begin and back-calculate and I suppose aggression will increase further. 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 as a track duel instead of a spreadsheet-based arbitration of circumstances. Not least because in Formula One the other impression from these events isn't very inspiring.

Honestly speaking, McLaren are making the correct decisions for themselves and it has paid off. They secured their tenth team championship at Marina Bay (albeit a brilliant success diminished by the fuss prompted by their drivers' clash) and with Stella as squad leader they possess a moral and upright commander who truly aims to do the right thing.

Racing purity versus squad control

However, with racers competing for the title appealing to the team to decide matters appears unsightly. Their competition should be decided through racing. Luck and destiny will play their part, yet preferable to allow them just battle freely and see how fortune falls, than the impression that each contentious incident will be pored over by the team to ascertain whether they need to intervene and subsequently resolved afterwards behind closed doors.

The scrutiny will increase with every occurrence it is in danger of potentially making a difference which might prove decisive. Previously, following the team's decision for position swaps at Monza due to Norris experiencing a slow pit stop and Piastri feeling he was treated unfairly with the strategy call at Hungary, where Norris won, the spectre of a fear of favouritism also emerges.

Squad viewpoint and future challenges

No one wants to see a title constantly disputed because it may be considered that the efforts to be fair had not been balanced. Questioned whether he felt the team had managed to do right by both drivers, Piastri responded 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. “However finally it’s a learning process with the whole team.”

Six races stay. McLaren have little wriggle room left to do their cramming, thus perhaps wiser to just stop analyzing and step back from the conflict.