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The British racing team along with F1 would benefit from any conclusive outcome during this championship battle between Norris & Piastri getting resolved on the track rather than without reference to team orders as the championship finale begins at the Circuit of the Americas starting Friday.

Singapore Grand Prix aftermath prompts team tensions

After the Marina Bay event’s undoubtedly thorough and tense debriefs concluded, McLaren will be hoping for a reset. Norris was likely more than aware of the historical context of his riposte toward his upset colleague during the previous race weekend. During an intense championship duel against Piastri, his reference to one of Ayrton Senna’s most famous sentiments was lost on no one yet the occurrence which triggered his statement differed completely to those that defined the Brazilian’s great rivalries.

“If you fault me for simply attempting on the inside through an opening then you don't belong in F1,” Norris said of his opening-lap attempt to overtake which resulted in the cars colliding.

His comment seemed to echo the Brazilian legend's “If you no longer go an available gap which is there you are no longer a racing driver” justification he provided to the racing knight following his collision with Alain Prost in Japan in 1990, securing him the championship.

Parallel mindset but different circumstances

Although the attitude remains comparable, the wording marks where parallels stop. The late champion confessed he had no intent to allow Prost to defeat him at turn one whereas Norris attempted to execute a clean overtake at the Marina Bay circuit. In fact, his maneuver was legitimate which received no penalty even with the glancing blow he had with his McLaren teammate during the pass. This incident stemmed from him touching the car of Max Verstappen ahead of him.

Piastri reacted furiously and, notably, instantly stated that Norris's position gain seemed unjust; the implication being their collision was verboten under McLaren’s rules 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 during disputes between them, each would quickly ask to the team to intervene in their favor.

Team dynamics and impartiality being examined

This comes naturally of McLaren’s laudable efforts to allow their racers compete one another and to try to maintain strict fairness. Quite apart from creating complex dilemmas when establishing rules over what constitutes just or unjust – which, under these auspices, now covers misfortune, tactical calls and racing incidents such as in Singapore – there remains the issue of perception.

Of most import for the championship, with six meetings remaining, Piastri leads Norris by twenty-two points, there is what each driver perceives as fair and when their perspectives might split from the team's stance. That is when their friendly rapport between the two may – finally – become a little bit more Senna-Prost.

“It will reach a point where a few points will matter,” commented Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff post-race. “Then they’ll start to calculate and back-calculate and I suppose the elbows are going to come out a bit more. That's when it begins to get interesting.”

Audience expectations and championship implications

For spectators, in what is a two-horse race, increased excitement will probably be welcomed as an on-track confrontation rather than a spreadsheet-based arbitration of circumstances. Especially since for F1 the alternative perception from these events is not particularly rousing.

Honestly speaking, McLaren are making the correct decisions for themselves and it has paid off. They clinched their tenth team championship in Singapore (albeit a brilliant success diminished by the fuss prompted by their drivers' clash) and with Stella as team principal they have an ethical and upright commander who truly aims to act correctly.

Sporting integrity against squad control

However, with racers competing for the title appealing to the team for resolutions is unedifying. Their contest should be decided through racing. Chance and fate will have roles, but better to let them simply go at it and see how fortune falls, rather than the sense that every disputed moment will be pored over by the squad to ascertain whether they need to intervene and then cleared up later in private.

The examination will intensify and each time it happens it is in danger of potentially making a difference which might prove decisive. Previously, after the team made their drivers swap places at Monza due to Norris experiencing a slow pit stop and Piastri believing he had been hard done by regarding tactics in Budapest, where Norris triumphed, the spectre of a fear about bias also looms.

Team perspective and upcoming tests

No one wants to see a title endlessly debated over perceived that fairness attempts had not been balanced. When asked if he believed the squad had managed to do right toward both racers, Piastri said he believed they had, but noted it's a developing process.

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

Six races stay. McLaren have little room for error for last-minute adjustments, thus perhaps wiser to just stop analyzing and step back from the fray.