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McLaren and Formula One could do with anything decisive in the title fight between Lando Norris & Piastri being decided on the track rather than without resorting to team orders as the title run-in kicks off this weekend at COTA starting Friday.

Singapore Grand Prix fallout prompts team tensions

With the Marina Bay event’s doubtless extensive and tense post-race analyses concluded, the Woking-based squad will be hoping for a fresh start. The British driver was likely fully conscious about the historical parallels regarding his retort toward his upset colleague during the previous grand prix weekend. In a fiercely contested title fight against Piastri, his reference to one of Ayrton Senna’s well-known quotes did not go unnoticed yet the occurrence that provoked his comment differed completely from incidents characterizing the Brazilian’s great rivalries.

“If you fault me for just going on the inside through an opening then you should not be in Formula One,” Norris said regarding his first-lap move to overtake which resulted in their vehicles making contact.

His comment seemed to echo the Brazilian legend's “Should you stop attempting for a gap which is there then you cease to be a racing driver” justification he provided to Sir Jackie Stewart following his collision with the French champion in Japan in 1990, ensuring he took the title.

Parallel mindset yet distinct situations

While the spirit remains comparable, the phrasing marks where parallels stop. Senna later admitted he had no intent of letting Prost to defeat him at turn one while Norris attempted to execute a clean overtake in Singapore. Indeed, it was a perfectly valid effort which received no penalty even with the glancing blow he had with his team colleague during the pass. That itself stemmed from him clipping the Red Bull of Max Verstappen ahead of him.

The Australian responded angrily and, significantly, instantly stated that Norris's position gain was “unfair”; suggesting that the two teammates clashing was verboten by team protocols of engagement and Norris should be instructed to return the place he had made. McLaren did not do so, yet it demonstrated that during disputes of contention, each would quickly ask the squad to intervene in their favor.

Squad management and impartiality under scrutiny

This comes naturally of McLaren’s laudable efforts to let their drivers race one another and strive to maintain strict fairness. Quite apart from tying some torturous knots when establishing rules over what constitutes just or unjust – under these conditions, now includes bad luck, tactical calls and racing incidents like in Marina Bay – there remains the issue regarding opinions.

Of most import to the title race, six races left, Piastri is ahead of Norris by twenty-two points, there is what each driver perceives as fair and when their opinion may diverge with that of the McLaren pitwall. That is when their friendly rapport between the two could eventually – turn somewhat into the iconic rivalry.

“It’s going to come a point where minor points count,” commented Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff after Singapore. “Then calculations will begin and back-calculate and I guess the elbows are going to come out a bit more. That's when it begins to get interesting.”

Viewer desires and championship implications

For the audience, during this dual battle, getting interesting will likely be appreciated in the form of an on-track confrontation rather than a spreadsheet-based arbitration of circumstances. Not least because for F1 the alternative perception from these events isn't very inspiring.

Honestly speaking, McLaren are making the correct decisions for themselves with successful results. They secured their 10th constructors’ title in Singapore (albeit a brilliant success diminished by the fuss prompted by their drivers' clash) and with Stella as squad leader they have an ethical and principled leader who truly aims to act correctly.

Sporting integrity against squad control

Yet having drivers competing for the title looking to the pitwall for resolutions is unedifying. Their competition should be decided on track. Luck and destiny will play their part, but better to let them just battle freely and see how fortune falls, than the impression 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 scrutiny will intensify and each time it happens it risks potentially making a difference that could be critical. Already, after the team made their drivers swap places at Monza because Norris had endured a delayed stop and Piastri believing he had been hard done by with the strategy call at Hungary, where Norris won, the spectre of a fear about bias also emerges.

Squad viewpoint and future challenges

No one wants to see a title constantly disputed because it may be considered that fairness attempts had not been balanced. Questioned whether he believed the squad had acted correctly toward both racers, Piastri responded that they did, but noted that it was an ever-evolving approach.

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

Six races stay. McLaren have little wriggle room left to do their cramming, so it may be better now to simply stop analyzing and withdraw from the fray.