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McLaren and Formula One would benefit from any conclusive outcome during this championship battle involving Norris and Piastri getting resolved on the track and without resorting to team orders as the championship finale kicks off this weekend at COTA on Friday.

Singapore Grand Prix aftermath prompts team tensions

After the Marina Bay event’s undoubtedly thorough and stressful post-race analyses dealt with, the Woking-based squad will be hoping for a fresh start. Norris was likely more than aware about the historical parallels regarding his retort to his aggrieved teammate during the previous grand prix weekend. During an intense championship duel against Piastri, that Norris invoked a famous Senna well-known quotes did not go unnoticed yet the occurrence that provoked his comment differed completely to those that defined Senna's great rivalries.

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

His comment appeared to paraphrase the Brazilian legend's “Should you stop attempting for a gap which is there then you cease to be a true racer” justification he provided to Sir Jackie Stewart after he ploughed into Alain Prost in Japan back in 1990, securing him the title.

Similar spirit yet distinct situations

While the spirit is similar, the wording marks where parallels stop. Senna later admitted he had no intent of letting Prost beat him at turn one whereas Norris did try to execute a clean overtake at the Marina Bay circuit. In fact, it was a perfectly valid effort that went unpenalised even with the glancing blow he made against his team colleague during the pass. That itself was a result of him clipping the Red Bull driven by Verstappen in front of him.

The Australian responded angrily and, significantly, immediately declared that Norris gaining the place seemed unjust; suggesting that their collision was forbidden under McLaren’s rules of engagement and Norris ought to be told to return the place he had made. The team refused, yet it demonstrated that during disputes between them, each would quickly ask to the team to intervene in their favor.

Squad management and impartiality under scrutiny

This is part and parcel from McLaren's commendable approach to let their drivers race one another and to try to maintain strict fairness. Quite apart from creating complex dilemmas in setting precedents about what defines fair or unfair – under these conditions, now covers misfortune, tactical calls and on-track occurrences such as in Singapore – there remains the issue of perception.

Of most import to the title race, with six meetings remaining, Piastri is ahead of Norris by twenty-two points, each racer's view exists as fair and at what point their opinion may diverge from the team's stance. Which is when their friendly rapport among them could eventually – turn somewhat into the iconic rivalry.

“It’s going to come to a situation where a few points will matter,” commented Mercedes boss Toto Wolff after Singapore. “Then calculations will begin and back-calculate and I suppose the elbows are going to come out further. That's when it begins to get interesting.”

Audience expectations and title consequences

For the audience, in what is a two-horse race, increased excitement will likely be appreciated in the form of an on-track confrontation instead of a data-driven decision of circumstances. 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 in Singapore (albeit a brilliant success diminished by the controversy from their drivers' clash) and with Stella as squad leader they have an ethical and upright commander who truly aims to do the right thing.

Racing purity versus team management

Yet having drivers in a championship fight appealing to the team for resolutions appears unsightly. Their contest should be decided through racing. Chance and fate will play their part, but better to let them just battle freely and observe outcomes naturally, than the impression that each contentious incident will be analyzed intensely by the team to ascertain whether they need to intervene and then cleared up afterwards behind closed doors.

The examination will increase with every occurrence it is in danger of possibly affecting outcomes which might prove decisive. Previously, following the team's decision their drivers swap places at Monza due to Norris experiencing a delayed stop and Piastri feeling he had been hard done by regarding tactics at Hungary, where Norris won, the spectre of a fear about bias also looms.

Team perspective and future challenges

Nobody desires to see a title endlessly debated over perceived that fairness attempts were unequal. When asked if he believed the squad had acted correctly by both drivers, Piastri said that they did, but mentioned that it was an ever-evolving approach.

“There’s been some challenging moments and we’ve spoken about a number of things,” he said post-race. “However finally it's educational with the whole team.”

Six meetings remain. The team has minimal wriggle room left for last-minute adjustments, thus perhaps wiser to just close the books and withdraw from the fray.