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McLaren along with F1 would benefit from anything decisive during this championship battle involving Lando Norris & Oscar Piastri being decided through on-track action and without reference to the pit wall with the championship finale kicks off this weekend at COTA on Friday.

Marina Bay race fallout prompts team tensions

With the Marina Bay event’s doubtless extensive and stressful post-race analyses dealt with, the Woking-based squad is aiming for a reset. Norris was almost certainly more than aware about the historical parallels regarding his retort to his aggrieved teammate during the previous grand prix weekend. During an intense championship duel with the Australian, his reference to one of Ayrton Senna’s well-known quotes was lost on no one but the incident which triggered his statement differed completely from incidents characterizing the Brazilian’s iconic battles.

“If you fault me for just going an inside move of a big gap then you don't belong in Formula One,” Norris said regarding his first-lap move to overtake that led to their vehicles making contact.

His comment appeared to paraphrase Senna’s “Should you stop attempting an available gap that exists you are no longer a true racer” justification he provided to the racing knight following his collision with the French champion in Japan in 1990, securing him the title.

Similar spirit yet distinct situations

Although the attitude remains comparable, the wording marks where parallels stop. Senna later admitted he never intended of letting Prost to defeat him through the first corner whereas Norris attempted to execute a clean overtake at the Marina Bay circuit. Indeed, it was a perfectly valid effort which received no penalty even with the glancing blow he had with his McLaren teammate as he went through. That itself was a result of him touching the car of Max Verstappen in front of him.

The Australian responded angrily and, significantly, immediately declared that Norris gaining the place seemed unjust; the implication being their collision was verboten by team protocols for racing and Norris should be instructed to return the place he had made. McLaren did not do so, yet it demonstrated that in any cases between them, each would quickly ask to the team to step in on his behalf.

Squad management and fairness being examined

This comes naturally of McLaren’s laudable efforts to let their drivers race against each other and to try to maintain strict fairness. Quite apart from creating complex dilemmas in setting precedents about what defines fair or unfair – which, under these auspices, now covers bad luck, tactical calls and racing incidents like in Marina Bay – there is the question of perception.

Of most import to the title race, with six meetings remaining, Piastri is ahead of Norris by twenty-two points, each racer's view exists on fairness and at what point their opinion may diverge from the team's stance. That is when the amicable relationship among them could eventually – turn somewhat into Senna-Prost.

“It’s going to come a point where minor points count,” said Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff post-race. “Then calculations will begin and back-calculate and I suppose aggression will increase 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. Not least because for F1 the alternative perception from these events isn't very inspiring.

Honestly speaking, McLaren are making appropriate choices for their interests and it has paid off. They secured their tenth team championship at Marina Bay (though a great achievement overshadowed by the controversy from their drivers' clash) and with Stella as squad leader they have an ethical and principled leader who genuinely wants to do the right thing.

Sporting integrity versus squad control

Yet having drivers competing for the title looking to the pitwall to decide matters appears unsightly. Their contest ought to be determined through racing. Luck and destiny will have roles, yet preferable to allow 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 they need to intervene and then cleared up later in private.

The scrutiny will intensify with every occurrence it is in danger of possibly affecting outcomes which might prove decisive. Previously, after the team made their drivers swap places in Italy due to Norris experiencing a delayed stop and Piastri feeling he had been hard done by with the strategy call at Hungary, where Norris won, the spectre of a fear of favouritism also emerges.

Team perspective and upcoming tests

Nobody desires to witness a championship constantly disputed over perceived that fairness attempts had not been balanced. When asked if he believed the squad had acted correctly toward both racers, Piastri said that they did, but mentioned that it was an ever-evolving approach.

“We've had several challenging moments and we discussed a number of things,” he stated post-race. “However finally it’s a learning process with the whole team.”

Six meetings remain. McLaren have little wriggle room left for last-minute adjustments, so it may be better to just close the books and withdraw from the fray.