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The British racing team along with Formula One could do with any conclusive outcome in the title fight between Norris and Piastri being decided on the track rather than without resorting to team orders with the title run-in kicks off at the COTA on Friday.

Marina Bay race fallout leads to internal strain

With the Marina Bay event’s doubtless extensive and stressful post-race analyses dealt with, the Woking-based squad will be hoping for a reset. Norris was almost certainly fully conscious about the historical parallels regarding his retort toward his upset colleague during the previous grand prix weekend. In a fiercely contested championship duel against Piastri, his reference to one of Ayrton Senna’s well-known quotes did not go unnoticed but the incident which triggered his statement differed completely to those that defined Senna's iconic battles.

“Should you criticize me for simply attempting on the inside through an opening then you should not be in Formula One,” Norris said regarding his first-lap move to pass which resulted in their vehicles making contact.

His comment appeared to paraphrase Senna’s “If you no longer go an available gap which is there then you cease to be a racing driver” justification he provided to Sir Jackie Stewart after he ploughed into Alain Prost at Suzuka back in 1990, ensuring he took the championship.

Parallel mindset but different circumstances

Although the attitude is similar, the wording is where the similarities end. The late champion confessed he never intended to allow Prost beat him through the first corner while Norris did try to make his pass cleanly in Singapore. Indeed, it was a perfectly valid effort which received no penalty even with the glancing blow he made against his McLaren teammate as he went through. This incident stemmed from him touching the Red Bull of Max Verstappen in front of him.

Piastri reacted furiously and, significantly, immediately declared that Norris gaining the place was “unfair”; 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, but it was indicative that in any cases of contention, each would quickly ask the squad to step in on his behalf.

Team dynamics and impartiality under scrutiny

This comes naturally from McLaren's commendable approach to allow their racers compete against each other and to try to maintain strict fairness. Quite apart from creating complex dilemmas in setting precedents over what constitutes fair or unfair – which, under these auspices, now covers misfortune, tactical calls and on-track occurrences like in Marina Bay – there is the question regarding opinions.

Most crucially to the title race, six races left, Piastri leads Norris by 22 points, there is what each driver perceives as fair and when their opinion may diverge from the team's stance. That is when the amicable relationship among them may – finally – become a little bit more the iconic rivalry.

“It’s going to come a point where minor points count,” commented Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff post-race. “Then calculations will begin and back-calculate and I suppose aggression will increase further. That’s when it starts to become thrilling.”

Viewer desires and championship implications

For the audience, during this dual battle, increased excitement will likely be appreciated as a track duel rather than a data-driven decision regarding incidents. Not least because in Formula One the alternative perception from these events is not particularly rousing.

To be fair, McLaren is taking appropriate choices for their interests with successful results. They clinched their 10th constructors’ title at Marina Bay (albeit a brilliant success overshadowed by the fuss prompted by the Norris-Piastri moment) and in Andrea Stella as squad leader they have an ethical and principled leader who genuinely wants to do the right thing.

Racing purity versus squad control

However, with racers competing for the title looking to the pitwall to decide matters is unedifying. Their competition ought to be determined through racing. Luck and destiny will play their part, yet preferable to allow them simply go at it and observe outcomes naturally, rather than the sense that every disputed moment will be analyzed intensely by the team to ascertain whether they need to intervene and subsequently resolved afterwards behind closed doors.

The examination will intensify with every occurrence it risks possibly affecting outcomes that could be critical. Previously, after the team made their drivers swap places at Monza because Norris had endured a slow pit stop and Piastri believing he had been hard done by with the strategy call in Budapest, where Norris triumphed, the shadow of concern of favouritism also looms.

Squad viewpoint and upcoming tests

Nobody desires to witness a championship endlessly debated because it may be considered that fairness attempts were unequal. When asked if he believed the squad had acted correctly toward both racers, Piastri responded that they did, but noted that it was an ever-evolving approach.

“There’s been some difficult situations and we’ve spoken about a number of things,” he stated after Singapore. “But ultimately it’s a learning process with the whole team.”

Six races stay. McLaren have little room for error to do their cramming, thus perhaps wiser now to simply stop analyzing and step back from the conflict.