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McLaren and Formula One would benefit from any conclusive outcome during this championship battle involving Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri getting resolved through on-track action rather than without resorting to the pit wall as the title run-in kicks off this weekend at COTA on Friday.

Marina Bay race fallout prompts team tensions

After the Marina Bay event’s doubtless extensive and stressful debriefs concluded, the Woking-based squad is aiming for a fresh start. The British driver was likely more than aware about the historical parallels of his riposte to his aggrieved teammate at the last race weekend. During an intense title fight against Piastri, his reference to one of Ayrton Senna’s most famous sentiments did not go unnoticed yet the occurrence which triggered his statement differed completely from incidents characterizing the Brazilian’s great rivalries.

“Should you criticize me for simply attempting an inside move through an opening then you should not be in Formula One,” stated Norris of his opening-lap attempt to overtake which resulted in the cars colliding.

His comment seemed to echo the Brazilian legend's “Should you stop attempting an available gap that exists you are no longer a racing driver” justification he gave to the racing knight following his collision with the French champion in Japan in 1990, securing him the championship.

Similar spirit but different circumstances

While the spirit remains comparable, the wording is where the similarities end. Senna later admitted he never intended to allow Prost beat him through the first corner while Norris did try to execute a clean overtake at the Marina Bay circuit. Indeed, it was a perfectly valid effort which received no penalty despite the minor contact he had with his McLaren teammate as he went through. This incident was a result of him touching the car driven by Verstappen ahead of him.

The Australian responded angrily and, notably, instantly stated 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 give back the position he gained. McLaren did not do so, yet it demonstrated that in any cases of contention, each would quickly ask the squad to intervene in their favor.

Team dynamics and impartiality under scrutiny

This comes naturally of McLaren’s laudable efforts to let their drivers race against each other and strive to maintain strict fairness. Aside from tying some torturous knots when establishing rules about what defines fair or unfair – under these conditions, now includes misfortune, tactical calls and racing incidents like in Marina Bay – there remains the issue regarding opinions.

Most crucially to the title race, six races left, 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 from the team's stance. That is when the amicable relationship among them may – finally – become a little bit more the iconic rivalry.

“It will reach a point where minor points count,” said Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff after Singapore. “Then they’ll start to calculate and re-calculations and I suppose aggression will increase a bit more. That’s when it starts to get interesting.”

Viewer desires and title consequences

For spectators, in what is a two-horse race, getting interesting will likely be appreciated as an on-track confrontation rather than a data-driven decision of circumstances. Not least because in Formula One the alternative perception from all this isn't very inspiring.

To be fair, McLaren is taking appropriate choices for themselves with successful results. They secured their tenth team championship at Marina Bay (though a great achievement diminished by the fuss prompted by their drivers' clash) and in Andrea Stella as team principal they have an ethical and upright commander who genuinely wants to do the right thing.

Sporting integrity versus squad control

However, with racers in a championship fight appealing to the team to decide matters is unedifying. Their competition ought to be determined on track. Luck and destiny will have roles, yet preferable to allow them simply go at it and see how fortune falls, rather than the sense that every disputed moment will be analyzed intensely by the squad to determine if intervention is needed and subsequently resolved later in private.

The scrutiny will increase and each time it happens it is in danger of possibly affecting outcomes which might prove decisive. Already, following the team's decision for position swaps at Monza because Norris had endured a slow pit stop and Piastri believing he was treated unfairly regarding tactics at Hungary, where Norris triumphed, the shadow of concern of favouritism also emerges.

Squad viewpoint and upcoming tests

No one wants to witness a championship endlessly debated over perceived that the efforts to be fair had not been balanced. 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 a number of things,” he stated post-race. “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 now to simply close the books and step back from the fray.