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The British racing team along with Formula One could do with anything decisive in the title fight between Lando Norris and Piastri being decided on the track and without resorting to the pit wall with the title run-in kicks off this weekend at Circuit of the Americas on Friday.

Singapore Grand Prix fallout prompts team tensions

After the Marina Bay event’s doubtless extensive and stressful post-race analyses concluded, McLaren is aiming for a fresh start. The British driver was likely more than aware about the historical parallels regarding his retort toward his upset colleague at the last grand prix weekend. During an intense title fight against Piastri, that Norris invoked one of Ayrton Senna’s well-known quotes was lost on no one yet the occurrence which triggered his statement was of an entirely different nature to those that defined the Brazilian’s great rivalries.

“Should you criticize me for just going on the inside of a big gap then you should not be in Formula One,” stated Norris of his opening-lap attempt to overtake that led to their vehicles making contact.

The remark appeared to paraphrase Senna’s “Should you stop attempting an available gap which is there you are no longer a true racer” defence he provided to the racing knight after he ploughed into the French champion in Japan back in 1990, ensuring he took the championship.

Similar spirit but different circumstances

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 did try to make his pass cleanly at the Marina Bay circuit. In fact, it was a perfectly valid effort that went unpenalised despite the minor contact he made against his McLaren teammate during the pass. That itself stemmed from him touching the car of Max Verstappen ahead of him.

The Australian responded angrily and, notably, instantly stated that Norris gaining the place seemed unjust; the implication being the two teammates clashing was verboten by team protocols of engagement and Norris ought to be told to return the place he had made. The team refused, but it was indicative that during disputes between them, each would quickly ask to the team to step in on his behalf.

Team dynamics and fairness being examined

This comes naturally of McLaren’s laudable efforts to allow their racers compete against each other and to try to be as scrupulously fair. Aside from creating complex dilemmas in setting precedents over what constitutes fair or unfair – under these conditions, now covers misfortune, tactical calls and racing incidents such as in Singapore – there remains the issue regarding opinions.

Of most import to the title race, six races left, Piastri leads Norris by twenty-two points, there is what each driver perceives as fair and at what point their opinion may diverge from the team's stance. That is when their friendly rapport among them could eventually – turn somewhat into the iconic rivalry.

“It will reach a point where minor points count,” said Mercedes team principal Wolff post-race. “Then they’ll start to calculate and re-calculations and I guess the elbows are going to come out a bit more. That’s when it starts to get interesting.”

Viewer desires and title consequences

For the audience, during this dual battle, getting interesting will probably be welcomed in the form of an on-track confrontation rather than a data-driven decision of circumstances. Not least because for F1 the other impression from these events is not particularly rousing.

Honestly speaking, McLaren is taking appropriate choices for themselves and it has paid off. They clinched their tenth team championship in Singapore (albeit a brilliant success overshadowed by the fuss prompted by their drivers' clash) and in Andrea Stella as team principal they possess a moral and principled leader who truly aims to act correctly.

Racing purity against team management

However, with racers in a championship fight appealing to the team for resolutions is unedifying. Their competition should be decided on track. Luck and destiny will have roles, but better to let them simply go at it and see how fortune falls, rather than the sense that each contentious incident will be analyzed intensely by the squad to ascertain whether intervention is needed and then cleared up afterwards behind closed doors.

The examination will increase and each time it happens it risks potentially making a difference that could be critical. Already, following the team's decision for position swaps at Monza because Norris had endured a slow pit stop and Piastri believing he was treated unfairly regarding tactics in Budapest, where Norris triumphed, the spectre of a fear of favouritism also emerges.

Team perspective and upcoming tests

Nobody desires to see a title constantly disputed over perceived that fairness attempts were unequal. Questioned whether he believed the squad had managed to do right by both drivers, Piastri responded he believed they had, but mentioned it's a developing process.

“There’s been some difficult situations and we discussed various aspects,” he stated post-race. “But ultimately it's educational for the entire squad.”

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