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The British racing team along with Formula One could do with any conclusive outcome during this championship battle involving Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri getting resolved on the track and without reference to team orders with the championship finale begins at the COTA on Friday.

Marina Bay race aftermath prompts internal strain

With the Marina Bay event’s doubtless extensive and tense debriefs dealt with, McLaren is aiming for a fresh start. The British driver was likely fully conscious of the historical context regarding his retort toward his upset colleague at the last grand prix weekend. In a fiercely contested title fight with the Australian, that Norris invoked one of Ayrton Senna’s most famous sentiments did not go unnoticed but the incident which triggered his statement differed completely from incidents characterizing the Brazilian’s iconic battles.

“If you fault me for just going an inside move of a big gap then you don't belong in F1,” stated Norris regarding his first-lap move to overtake that led to the cars colliding.

The remark seemed to echo the Brazilian legend's “Should you stop attempting an available gap that exists you are no longer a true racer” defence he gave to the racing knight after he ploughed into the French champion at Suzuka back in 1990, ensuring he took the championship.

Parallel mindset yet distinct situations

Although the attitude is similar, the phrasing is where the similarities end. Senna later admitted he never intended of letting Prost beat him at turn one whereas Norris did try to execute a clean overtake in Singapore. Indeed, it was a perfectly valid effort that went unpenalised even with the glancing blow he made against his team colleague as he went through. That itself stemmed from him clipping the car of Max Verstappen ahead of him.

Piastri reacted furiously and, notably, instantly stated that Norris's position gain was “unfair”; suggesting that the two teammates clashing was forbidden by team protocols for racing and Norris ought to be told to give back the position he gained. The team refused, yet it demonstrated that in any cases between them, both will promptly appeal the squad to step in in their favor.

Squad management and impartiality being examined

This is part and parcel of McLaren’s laudable efforts to let their drivers race one another and strive to maintain strict fairness. Aside from tying some torturous knots when establishing rules about what defines just or unjust – which, under these auspices, now includes misfortune, strategy and on-track occurrences such as in Singapore – there remains the issue regarding opinions.

Most crucially to the title race, six races left, Piastri is ahead of Norris by twenty-two points, each racer's view exists as fair and when their perspectives might split with that of the McLaren pitwall. Which is when their friendly rapport among them may – finally – become a little bit more the iconic rivalry.

“It will reach to a situation where a few points will matter,” commented Mercedes team principal Wolff post-race. “Then they’ll start to calculate and back-calculate and I suppose the elbows are going to come out a bit more. That's when it begins to get interesting.”

Audience expectations and title consequences

For spectators, during this dual battle, getting interesting will probably be welcomed as a track duel rather than a spreadsheet-based arbitration of circumstances. Especially since in Formula One the alternative perception from all this isn't very inspiring.

To be fair, McLaren are making the correct decisions for their interests with successful results. They secured their 10th constructors’ title at Marina Bay (though a great achievement overshadowed by the fuss prompted by their drivers' clash) and in Andrea Stella as squad leader they have an ethical and upright commander who truly aims to do the right thing.

Racing purity versus squad control

Yet having drivers competing for the title looking to the pitwall for resolutions is unedifying. Their contest should be decided on track. Luck and destiny will play their part, but better to let them just battle freely and observe outcomes naturally, rather than the sense that each contentious incident will be analyzed intensely by the squad to determine if intervention is needed and then cleared up later in private.

The examination will intensify and each time it happens it risks possibly affecting outcomes that could be critical. Previously, after the team made for position swaps in Italy because Norris had endured a slow pit stop and Piastri believing he was treated unfairly regarding tactics at Hungary, where Norris won, the shadow of concern about bias also emerges.

Squad viewpoint and upcoming tests

No one wants to see a title endlessly debated over perceived that the efforts to be fair had not been balanced. When asked if he felt the team had managed to do right toward both racers, Piastri said he believed they had, but mentioned that it was an ever-evolving approach.

“There’s been some challenging moments and we discussed a number of things,” he stated post-race. “But ultimately it’s a learning process for the entire squad.”

Six meetings remain. The team has minimal wriggle room left to do their cramming, so it may be better now to simply close the books and step back from the fray.