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The British racing team and F1 would benefit from any conclusive outcome during this title fight involving Norris and Piastri getting resolved through on-track action and without reference to team orders with the championship finale begins this weekend at Circuit of the Americas starting Friday.

Marina Bay race fallout prompts internal strain

With the Marina Bay event’s doubtless extensive and tense debriefs dealt with, McLaren is aiming for a reset. Norris was likely fully conscious about the historical parallels of his riposte to his aggrieved teammate at the last race weekend. In a fiercely contested title fight with the Australian, his reference to a famous Senna most famous sentiments was lost on no one yet the occurrence which triggered his statement was of an entirely different nature from incidents characterizing the Brazilian’s iconic battles.

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

His comment seemed to echo Senna’s “If you no longer go an available gap which is there then you cease to be a racing driver” defence he provided to Sir Jackie Stewart after he ploughed into the French champion in Japan in 1990, securing him the championship.

Parallel mindset but different circumstances

While the spirit remains comparable, the wording is where the similarities end. Senna later admitted he had no intent of letting Prost beat him at turn one whereas Norris did try to execute a clean overtake in Singapore. Indeed, his maneuver was legitimate which received no penalty even with the glancing blow he made against his team colleague during the pass. This incident stemmed from him touching the car driven by Verstappen ahead of him.

The Australian responded angrily and, significantly, immediately declared that Norris gaining the place was “unfair”; suggesting that the two teammates clashing was forbidden under McLaren’s rules for racing and Norris should be instructed to return the position he gained. The team refused, yet it demonstrated that during disputes between them, each would quickly ask the squad to step in in their favor.

Team dynamics and impartiality under scrutiny

This is part and parcel from McLaren's commendable approach to allow their racers compete one another and to try to maintain strict fairness. Aside from creating complex dilemmas when establishing rules about what defines just or unjust – which, under these auspices, now covers bad luck, tactical calls and on-track occurrences like in Marina Bay – there is the question regarding opinions.

Most crucially for the championship, six races left, Piastri leads Norris by 22 points, there is what each driver perceives on fairness and at what point their opinion may diverge with that of the McLaren pitwall. That is when their friendly rapport among them could eventually – become a little bit more the iconic rivalry.

“It’s going to come a point where a few points will matter,” said Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff after Singapore. “Then calculations will begin and back-calculate and I guess aggression will increase further. That’s when it starts to become thrilling.”

Viewer desires and title consequences

For spectators, in what is a two-horse race, getting interesting will probably be welcomed in the form of an on-track confrontation instead of a spreadsheet-based arbitration of circumstances. Not least because in Formula One the alternative perception from these events is not particularly rousing.

To be fair, McLaren is taking appropriate choices for their interests with successful results. They secured their 10th constructors’ title at Marina Bay (albeit a brilliant success overshadowed by the controversy from the Norris-Piastri moment) and in Andrea Stella as squad leader they possess a moral and principled leader who truly aims to do the right thing.

Sporting integrity against team management

Yet having drivers competing for the title appealing to the team for resolutions appears unsightly. Their competition should be decided through racing. 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 every disputed moment will be pored over by the squad to ascertain whether they need to intervene and subsequently resolved afterwards behind closed doors.

The examination will increase and each time it happens it is in danger of potentially making a difference which might prove decisive. Previously, following the team's decision their drivers swap places in Italy due to Norris experiencing a slow pit 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 over perceived that fairness attempts were unequal. Questioned whether he felt the team had managed to do right by both drivers, Piastri responded that they did, but mentioned it's a developing process.

“There’s been some difficult situations and we discussed various aspects,” he stated after Singapore. “But ultimately it's educational for the entire squad.”

Six meetings remain. The team has minimal room for error to do their cramming, so it may be better to just close the books and step back from the conflict.