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McLaren and Formula One could do with anything decisive during this championship battle involving Norris & Oscar Piastri getting resolved through on-track action rather than without resorting to team orders with the title run-in begins this weekend at Circuit of the Americas starting Friday.

Singapore Grand Prix fallout prompts team tensions

With the Marina Bay event’s undoubtedly thorough and stressful debriefs concluded, McLaren is aiming for a fresh start. Norris was almost certainly fully conscious of the historical context regarding his retort toward his upset colleague during the previous grand prix weekend. In a fiercely contested title fight with the Australian, his reference to one of Ayrton Senna’s most famous sentiments was lost on no one yet the occurrence that provoked his comment was of an entirely different nature from incidents characterizing the Brazilian’s iconic battles.

“Should you criticize me for just going an inside move through an opening then you don't belong in F1,” Norris said of his opening-lap attempt to overtake which resulted in their vehicles making contact.

The remark 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 at Suzuka in 1990, ensuring he took the championship.

Parallel mindset but different circumstances

While the spirit is similar, the phrasing marks where parallels stop. The late champion confessed he had no intent of letting Prost beat him at turn one while Norris attempted to execute a clean overtake in Singapore. In fact, it was a perfectly valid effort that went unpenalised even with the glancing blow he made against his team colleague as he went through. This incident stemmed from him touching 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 by team protocols of engagement and Norris should be instructed to return the place he had made. The team refused, but it was indicative that during disputes between them, each would quickly ask the squad to intervene in their favor.

Team dynamics and impartiality being examined

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. Quite apart from tying some torturous knots when establishing rules over what constitutes fair or unfair – under these conditions, now covers misfortune, tactical calls and on-track occurrences such as in Singapore – there remains the issue regarding opinions.

Of most import to the title race, with six meetings remaining, Piastri leads Norris by twenty-two points, there is what each driver perceives as fair and at what point their perspectives might split from the team's stance. That is when their friendly rapport between the two could eventually – become a little bit more Senna-Prost.

“It’s going to come a point where minor points count,” commented Mercedes boss Toto 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 become thrilling.”

Audience expectations and title consequences

For spectators, during this dual battle, getting interesting will probably be welcomed in the form of an on-track confrontation instead of a data-driven decision regarding incidents. Not least because for F1 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 in Singapore (though a great achievement overshadowed by the controversy from their drivers' clash) and in Andrea Stella as squad leader they have an ethical and principled leader who genuinely wants to do the right thing.

Sporting integrity against team management

Yet having drivers competing for the title appealing to the team to decide matters appears unsightly. Their competition should be decided on track. Luck and destiny will play their part, but better to let them simply go at it and see how fortune falls, than the impression that every disputed moment will be pored over by the team to ascertain whether intervention is needed and then cleared up afterwards behind closed doors.

The examination will intensify and each time it happens it risks possibly affecting outcomes which might prove decisive. Already, after the team made their drivers swap places in Italy due to Norris experiencing a slow pit stop and Piastri believing he was treated unfairly regarding tactics in Budapest, where Norris won, the shadow of concern of favouritism also emerges.

Team perspective and future challenges

Nobody desires to witness a championship constantly disputed over perceived that fairness attempts were unequal. Questioned whether he felt the team had acted correctly by both drivers, Piastri said that they did, but mentioned that it was an ever-evolving approach.

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

Six races stay. The team has minimal wriggle room left to do their cramming, so it may be better to just close the books and step back from the fray.