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The British racing team and F1 could do with anything decisive in the title fight involving Lando Norris & Oscar Piastri getting resolved on the track rather than without resorting to team orders with the title run-in kicks off at the COTA on Friday.

Singapore Grand Prix fallout leads to team tensions

With the Singapore Grand Prix’s undoubtedly thorough and stressful post-race analyses dealt with, the Woking-based squad is aiming for a fresh start. The British driver was almost certainly fully conscious of the historical context of his riposte to his aggrieved teammate during the previous race weekend. During an intense title fight against Piastri, that Norris invoked one of Ayrton Senna’s well-known quotes did not go unnoticed but the incident that provoked his comment differed completely from incidents characterizing Senna's iconic battles.

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

The remark seemed to echo Senna’s “Should you stop attempting an available gap that exists then you cease to be a racing driver” defence he provided to the racing knight following his collision with Alain Prost at Suzuka back in 1990, securing him the championship.

Similar spirit yet distinct situations

Although the attitude is similar, the wording is where the similarities end. The late champion confessed he had no intent to allow Prost beat him at turn one while Norris attempted to make his pass cleanly at the Marina Bay circuit. Indeed, it was a perfectly valid effort that went unpenalised despite the minor contact he had with his team colleague as he went through. That itself stemmed from him clipping the car driven by Verstappen ahead of him.

Piastri reacted furiously and, notably, instantly stated that Norris's position gain seemed unjust; suggesting that their collision was forbidden by team protocols for racing and Norris ought to be told to give back the place he had made. McLaren did not do so, yet it demonstrated that during disputes between them, both will promptly appeal the squad to intervene on his behalf.

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 be as scrupulously fair. Aside from tying some torturous knots in setting precedents over what constitutes fair or unfair – which, under these auspices, now covers misfortune, tactical calls and racing incidents such as in Singapore – there is the question of perception.

Most crucially for the championship, six races left, Piastri is ahead of Norris by 22 points, each racer's view exists on fairness and at what point their perspectives might split from the team's stance. That is when the amicable relationship between the two could eventually – become a little bit more the iconic rivalry.

“It will reach a point where a few points will matter,” commented Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff after Singapore. “Then calculations will begin and re-calculations and I suppose aggression will increase further. That’s when it starts to become thrilling.”

Viewer desires and championship implications

For spectators, in what is a two-horse race, increased excitement will probably be welcomed in the form of a track duel instead of a spreadsheet-based arbitration of circumstances. Not least because in Formula One the other impression from these events is not particularly rousing.

To be fair, McLaren are making the correct decisions for their interests with successful results. They clinched their 10th constructors’ title in Singapore (albeit a brilliant success diminished by the controversy from the Norris-Piastri moment) and in Andrea Stella as squad leader they possess a moral and principled leader who genuinely wants to act correctly.

Sporting integrity versus team management

However, with racers in a championship fight appealing to the team for resolutions appears unsightly. Their contest ought to be determined through racing. Chance and fate will have roles, yet preferable to allow them simply go at it and see how fortune falls, than the impression that each contentious incident will be pored over by the squad to determine if they need to intervene and subsequently resolved afterwards behind closed doors.

The examination will intensify with every occurrence it is in danger of potentially making a difference that could be critical. Already, following the team's decision their drivers swap places in Italy due to Norris experiencing a delayed stop and Piastri feeling he had been hard done by regarding tactics at Hungary, where Norris triumphed, the shadow of concern about bias also looms.

Team perspective and future challenges

Nobody desires to witness a championship constantly disputed over perceived that fairness attempts had not been balanced. Questioned whether he felt the team had managed to do right toward both racers, Piastri said that they did, but noted it's a developing process.

“We've had several challenging moments and we’ve spoken about a number of things,” he stated post-race. “However finally it's educational with the whole team.”

Six races stay. McLaren have little wriggle room left to do their cramming, thus perhaps wiser to just close the books and withdraw from the conflict.