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McLaren along with F1 would benefit from anything decisive in the title fight between Norris & Piastri being decided through on-track action rather than without reference to team orders as the title run-in kicks off at the COTA starting Friday.

Marina Bay race fallout leads to team tensions

With the Marina Bay event’s doubtless extensive and stressful post-race analyses dealt with, McLaren is aiming for a reset. Norris was almost certainly more than aware of the historical context of his riposte toward his upset colleague at the last grand prix weekend. In a fiercely contested championship duel with the Australian, his reference to a famous Senna well-known quotes did not go unnoticed but the incident that provoked his comment was of an entirely different nature from incidents characterizing the Brazilian’s great rivalries.

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

The remark seemed to echo the Brazilian legend's “Should you stop attempting 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, ensuring he took the championship.

Similar spirit but different circumstances

Although the attitude remains comparable, 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 did try to make his pass cleanly in Singapore. Indeed, his maneuver was legitimate that went unpenalised even with the glancing blow he made against his McLaren teammate during the pass. This incident stemmed from him clipping the Red Bull of Max Verstappen in front of him.

Piastri reacted furiously and, notably, instantly stated that Norris's position gain was “unfair”; the implication being the two teammates clashing was forbidden by team protocols of engagement and Norris ought to be told to give back the position he gained. McLaren did not do so, but it was indicative that in any cases of contention, each would quickly ask to the team to step in on his behalf.

Squad management and impartiality under scrutiny

This is part and parcel from McLaren's commendable approach to let their drivers race one another and strive to be as scrupulously fair. Aside from creating complex dilemmas when establishing rules about what defines fair or unfair – which, under these auspices, now covers misfortune, tactical calls and racing incidents such as in Singapore – there remains the issue of perception.

Of most import for the championship, with six meetings remaining, Piastri is ahead of Norris by 22 points, there is what each driver perceives on fairness and at what point their perspectives might split from the team's stance. Which is when the amicable relationship between the two may – finally – become a little bit more Senna-Prost.

“It will reach a point where a few points will matter,” said Mercedes team principal Wolff after Singapore. “Then calculations will begin and re-calculations and I suppose the elbows are going to come out further. That’s when it starts to get interesting.”

Audience expectations and title consequences

For the audience, during this dual battle, increased excitement will probably be welcomed as a track duel rather than a spreadsheet-based arbitration of circumstances. Not least because for F1 the other impression from these events is not particularly rousing.

To be fair, McLaren are making the correct decisions for their interests and it has paid off. They clinched their tenth team championship in Singapore (albeit a brilliant success diminished by the fuss prompted by the Norris-Piastri moment) and with Stella as team principal they have an ethical and principled leader who genuinely wants to do the right thing.

Sporting integrity against squad control

However, with racers in a championship fight looking to the pitwall to decide matters appears unsightly. Their contest should be decided through racing. Luck and destiny will have roles, but better to let them simply go at it and observe outcomes naturally, rather than the sense that every disputed moment will be analyzed intensely by the team to determine if intervention is needed and subsequently resolved afterwards behind closed doors.

The examination will intensify with every occurrence it risks potentially making a difference that could be critical. Previously, following the team's decision for position swaps in Italy due to Norris experiencing a delayed stop and Piastri feeling he had been hard done by regarding tactics at Hungary, where Norris won, the shadow of concern of favouritism also emerges.

Squad viewpoint and upcoming tests

No one wants 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 said he believed they had, but mentioned that it was an ever-evolving approach.

“We've had several challenging moments and we’ve spoken about various aspects,” he said post-race. “But ultimately it’s a learning process with the whole team.”

Six races stay. McLaren have little wriggle room left to do their cramming, so it may be better to just stop analyzing and step back from the conflict.