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The British racing team along with F1 would benefit from anything decisive during this title fight involving Norris & Oscar Piastri getting resolved on the track and without resorting to team orders with the title run-in kicks off this weekend at COTA starting Friday.

Singapore Grand Prix aftermath leads to team tensions

With the Marina Bay event’s undoubtedly thorough and stressful post-race analyses concluded, the Woking-based squad is aiming for a fresh start. The British driver was almost certainly more than aware about the historical parallels regarding his retort to his aggrieved teammate at the last race weekend. During an intense title fight against Piastri, his reference to one of Ayrton Senna’s well-known quotes was lost on no one yet the occurrence that provoked his comment differed completely to those that defined Senna's great rivalries.

“Should you criticize me for simply attempting on the inside of a big gap then you don't belong in F1,” stated Norris of his opening-lap attempt to overtake that led to the cars colliding.

His comment seemed to echo Senna’s “Should you stop attempting for a gap which is there then you cease to be a true racer” justification he provided to Sir Jackie Stewart after he ploughed into Alain Prost in Japan back in 1990, ensuring he took the title.

Parallel mindset but different circumstances

While the spirit remains comparable, the phrasing marks where parallels stop. The late champion confessed he had no intent to allow Prost to defeat him through the first corner whereas Norris attempted to execute a clean overtake in Singapore. In fact, it was a perfectly valid effort which received no penalty despite the minor contact he made against his team colleague as he went through. This incident stemmed from him touching the Red Bull of Max Verstappen in front of him.

The Australian responded angrily and, notably, instantly stated that Norris gaining the place was “unfair”; suggesting that their collision was forbidden under McLaren’s rules of engagement and Norris ought to be told to return the place he had made. McLaren did not do so, yet it demonstrated that during disputes between them, each would quickly ask to the team to step in in their favor.

Team dynamics and impartiality being examined

This comes naturally from McLaren's commendable approach to let their drivers race one another and to try to be as scrupulously fair. Aside from tying some torturous knots in setting precedents over what constitutes just or unjust – under these conditions, now includes misfortune, tactical calls and on-track occurrences like in Marina Bay – there remains the issue of perception.

Most crucially for the championship, six races left, Piastri is ahead of Norris by twenty-two points, there is what each driver perceives on fairness and when their perspectives might split with that of the McLaren pitwall. That is when the amicable relationship between the two could eventually – turn somewhat into Senna-Prost.

“It will reach a point where minor points count,” said Mercedes boss Toto Wolff after Singapore. “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 become thrilling.”

Audience expectations and title consequences

For spectators, in what is a two-horse race, getting interesting will likely be appreciated as a track duel instead of a data-driven decision regarding incidents. Not least because in Formula One the other impression from all this is not particularly rousing.

To be fair, McLaren is taking the correct decisions for themselves with successful results. They clinched their tenth team championship at Marina Bay (though a great achievement diminished by the fuss prompted by the Norris-Piastri moment) and with Stella as team principal they possess a moral and upright commander who truly aims to do the right thing.

Racing purity versus squad control

However, with racers in a championship fight appealing to the team for resolutions appears unsightly. Their competition should be decided on track. Luck and destiny will play their part, yet preferable to allow them simply go at it and see how fortune falls, than the impression that each contentious incident will be analyzed intensely by the team to determine if they need to intervene and then cleared up afterwards behind closed doors.

The examination will increase and each time it happens it is in danger of possibly affecting outcomes which might prove decisive. Previously, after the team made their drivers swap places in Italy because Norris had endured a slow pit stop and Piastri feeling he had been hard done by with the strategy call in Budapest, where Norris won, the spectre of a fear of favouritism also emerges.

Squad viewpoint and upcoming tests

Nobody desires to see a title endlessly debated because it may be considered that the efforts to be fair were unequal. When asked if he believed the squad had managed to do right toward both racers, Piastri said that they did, but mentioned it's a developing process.

“There’s been some difficult situations and we’ve spoken about various aspects,” he said post-race. “But ultimately it's educational with the whole team.”

Six races stay. McLaren have little wriggle room left for last-minute adjustments, so it may be better now to simply close the books and withdraw from the conflict.