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McLaren and Formula One would benefit from any conclusive outcome during this title fight involving Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri being decided through on-track action rather than without resorting to team orders with the championship finale kicks off this weekend at Circuit of the Americas starting Friday.

Singapore Grand Prix fallout leads to internal strain

With the Marina Bay event’s undoubtedly thorough and stressful post-race analyses dealt with, McLaren is aiming for a fresh start. Norris was almost certainly more than aware about the historical parallels regarding his retort toward his upset colleague during the previous grand prix weekend. In a fiercely contested title fight with the Australian, that Norris invoked a famous Senna well-known quotes did not go unnoticed 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 Formula One,” Norris said of his opening-lap attempt to overtake that led to the cars colliding.

The remark seemed to echo the Brazilian legend's “If you no longer go an available gap that exists then you cease to be a true racer” defence he gave to the racing knight after he ploughed into Alain Prost in Japan in 1990, securing him the title.

Similar spirit but different circumstances

While the spirit is similar, the phrasing marks where parallels stop. The late champion confessed he had no intent to allow Prost to defeat him at turn one while Norris did try to make his pass cleanly in Singapore. Indeed, his maneuver was legitimate which received no penalty despite the minor contact he had with his McLaren teammate during the pass. This incident was a result of him touching the car driven by Verstappen ahead of him.

Piastri reacted furiously and, notably, instantly stated that Norris gaining the place was “unfair”; suggesting that their collision was verboten by team protocols of engagement and Norris should be instructed to give back the position he gained. The team refused, yet it demonstrated that during disputes between them, each would quickly ask 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 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 covers misfortune, tactical calls and on-track occurrences like in Marina Bay – there is the question of perception.

Of most import to the title race, six races left, Piastri leads Norris by twenty-two points, each racer's view exists as fair and when their perspectives might split from the team's stance. That is when their friendly rapport among them may – finally – turn somewhat into the iconic rivalry.

“It will reach to a situation where a few points will matter,” commented Mercedes boss Wolff after Singapore. “Then calculations will begin and re-calculations and I suppose the elbows are going to come out a bit more. That's when it begins to become thrilling.”

Audience expectations and title consequences

For the audience, during this dual battle, getting interesting will likely be appreciated as a track duel rather than a data-driven decision of circumstances. Especially since in Formula One the other impression from all this is not particularly rousing.

Honestly speaking, McLaren is taking the correct decisions for their interests and it has paid off. They clinched their tenth team championship at Marina Bay (though a great achievement overshadowed by the controversy from their drivers' clash) and in Andrea Stella as squad leader they have an ethical and upright commander who genuinely wants to act correctly.

Racing purity against team management

Yet having drivers in a championship fight appealing to the team for resolutions is unedifying. Their contest ought to be determined on track. Luck and destiny will play their part, but better to let them just battle freely and see how fortune falls, rather than the sense that every disputed moment will be pored over by the squad to determine if they need to intervene and then cleared up later in private.

The examination will increase and each time it happens it is in danger of potentially making a difference that could be critical. Already, after the team made for position swaps in Italy due to Norris experiencing a slow pit stop and Piastri believing he was treated unfairly with the strategy call at Hungary, where Norris triumphed, the spectre of a fear about bias also emerges.

Team perspective and upcoming tests

No one wants to witness a championship constantly disputed because it may be considered that fairness attempts had not been balanced. Questioned whether he felt the team had managed to do right toward both racers, Piastri said he believed they had, 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 a learning process for the entire squad.”

Six races stay. The team has minimal room for error to do their cramming, so it may be better to just close the books and step back from the fray.