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The British racing team and F1 would benefit from any conclusive outcome in the title fight involving Lando Norris & Piastri being decided through on-track action rather than without reference to team orders with the championship finale begins this weekend at COTA on Friday.

Singapore Grand Prix fallout prompts team tensions

With the Marina Bay event’s doubtless extensive and stressful debriefs dealt with, the Woking-based squad will be hoping for a reset. The British driver was likely fully conscious about the historical parallels regarding his retort toward his upset colleague at the last grand prix weekend. During an intense title fight with the Australian, that Norris invoked one of Ayrton Senna’s most famous sentiments did not go unnoticed yet the occurrence that provoked his comment was of an entirely different nature from incidents characterizing Senna's iconic battles.

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

His comment appeared to paraphrase the Brazilian legend's “If you no longer go an available gap which is there then you cease to be a true racer” justification he gave to the racing knight following his collision with the French champion at Suzuka in 1990, securing him the title.

Parallel mindset but different circumstances

Although the attitude is similar, the wording is where the similarities end. Senna later admitted he had no intent to allow Prost beat him through the first corner while Norris did try to make his pass cleanly in Singapore. In fact, it was a perfectly valid effort that went unpenalised even with the glancing blow he made against his McLaren teammate during the pass. This incident was a result of him touching the car of Max Verstappen ahead of him.

Piastri reacted furiously and, significantly, instantly stated that Norris gaining the place seemed unjust; the implication being 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 of contention, both will promptly appeal to the team to step in in their favor.

Team dynamics and fairness under scrutiny

This comes naturally from McLaren's commendable approach to allow their racers compete against each other and to try to be as scrupulously fair. Aside from tying some torturous knots when establishing rules about what defines just or unjust – under these conditions, now covers bad luck, tactical calls and racing incidents such as in Singapore – there remains the issue regarding opinions.

Of most import for the championship, six races left, Piastri is ahead of 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 the amicable relationship among them may – finally – become a little bit more Senna-Prost.

“It’s going to come a point where a few points will matter,” said Mercedes boss Wolff after Singapore. “Then calculations will begin and re-calculations and I guess aggression will increase further. That's when it begins to get interesting.”

Audience expectations and championship implications

For spectators, in what is a two-horse race, increased excitement will likely be appreciated as a track duel instead of a data-driven decision regarding incidents. Especially since in Formula One the alternative perception from all this is not particularly rousing.

Honestly speaking, McLaren is taking the correct decisions for their interests and it has paid off. They secured their tenth team championship in Singapore (albeit a brilliant success overshadowed by the controversy from the Norris-Piastri moment) and in Andrea Stella as team principal they have an ethical and principled leader who truly aims to act correctly.

Sporting integrity against squad control

However, with racers competing for the title appealing to the team to decide matters is unedifying. Their contest should be decided through racing. Chance and fate will have roles, but better to let them just battle freely and see how fortune falls, rather than the sense that each contentious incident will be analyzed intensely by the squad to ascertain whether they need to intervene and subsequently resolved later in private.

The examination will intensify with every occurrence it is in danger of potentially making a difference which might prove decisive. Previously, following the team's decision for position swaps in Italy due to Norris experiencing a slow pit stop and Piastri feeling he had been hard done by with the strategy call in Budapest, where Norris triumphed, the shadow of concern of favouritism also emerges.

Squad viewpoint and upcoming tests

No one wants to witness a championship constantly disputed because it may be considered that the efforts to be fair had not been balanced. When asked if he believed the squad had acted correctly by both drivers, Piastri said he believed they had, but mentioned it's a developing process.

“We've had several difficult situations and we discussed a number of things,” he stated after Singapore. “However finally it’s a learning process with the whole team.”

Six meetings remain. The team has minimal wriggle room left for last-minute adjustments, thus perhaps wiser now to simply close the books and step back from the conflict.