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McLaren and Formula One could do with any conclusive outcome in the championship battle involving Norris and Oscar Piastri getting resolved through on-track action rather than without resorting to the pit wall as the championship finale begins this weekend at COTA on Friday.

Marina Bay race fallout leads to internal strain

After the Marina Bay event’s doubtless extensive and stressful debriefs concluded, the Woking-based squad is aiming for a fresh start. The British driver was almost certainly fully conscious about the historical parallels of his riposte to his aggrieved teammate during the previous grand prix weekend. In a fiercely contested championship duel with the Australian, that Norris invoked a famous Senna most famous sentiments did not go unnoticed but the incident that provoked his comment was of an entirely different nature to those that defined Senna's iconic battles.

“If you fault me for simply attempting on the inside through an opening then you should not be in Formula One,” stated Norris regarding his first-lap move to pass which resulted in the cars colliding.

His comment appeared to paraphrase the Brazilian legend's “Should you stop attempting an available gap which is there you are no longer a true racer” defence he provided to Sir Jackie Stewart after he ploughed into Alain Prost at Suzuka in 1990, ensuring he took the title.

Similar spirit but different circumstances

Although the attitude is similar, the phrasing is where the similarities end. The late champion confessed he never intended of letting Prost to defeat him through the first corner while Norris did try to make his pass cleanly at the Marina Bay circuit. Indeed, it was a perfectly valid effort that went unpenalised even with the glancing blow he made against his McLaren teammate during the pass. That itself was a result of him touching the Red Bull driven by Verstappen ahead of him.

Piastri reacted furiously and, notably, immediately declared that Norris's position gain seemed unjust; suggesting that the two teammates clashing was verboten by team protocols of engagement and Norris ought to be told to return the position he gained. McLaren did not do so, yet it demonstrated that during disputes between them, each would quickly ask the squad to intervene on his behalf.

Team dynamics and fairness under scrutiny

This is part and parcel 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 when establishing rules over what constitutes just or unjust – under these conditions, now includes misfortune, strategy and on-track occurrences such as in Singapore – there remains the issue regarding opinions.

Of most import to the title race, six races left, Piastri is ahead of Norris by 22 points, there is what each driver perceives as fair and at what point their perspectives might split with that of the McLaren pitwall. That is when the amicable relationship among them could eventually – turn somewhat into the iconic rivalry.

“It will reach a point where minor points count,” said Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff post-race. “Then calculations will begin and back-calculate and I guess the elbows are going to come out a bit more. That's when it begins to get interesting.”

Audience expectations and title consequences

For spectators, during this dual battle, increased excitement will probably be welcomed as a track duel instead of a spreadsheet-based arbitration of circumstances. Not least because in Formula One the alternative perception from all this is not particularly rousing.

To be fair, McLaren are making appropriate choices for their interests with successful results. They clinched their 10th constructors’ title in Singapore (albeit a brilliant success diminished by the controversy from their drivers' clash) and in Andrea Stella as team principal they have an ethical and principled leader who genuinely wants to do the right thing.

Racing purity against team management

However, with racers in a championship fight appealing to the team to decide matters is unedifying. Their competition ought to be determined on track. Chance and fate will play their part, yet preferable to allow them simply go at it and observe outcomes naturally, rather than the sense that every disputed moment will be pored over by the squad to determine if intervention is needed and subsequently resolved afterwards behind closed doors.

The scrutiny will intensify with every occurrence it is in danger of potentially making a difference which might prove decisive. Previously, following the team's decision their drivers swap places in Italy because Norris had endured a slow pit stop and Piastri believing he had been hard done by with the strategy call in Budapest, where Norris triumphed, the spectre of a fear about bias also emerges.

Squad viewpoint and future challenges

No one wants to see a title constantly disputed over perceived that fairness attempts had not been balanced. When asked if he believed the squad had managed to do right by both drivers, Piastri said he believed they had, but mentioned it's a developing process.

“There’s been some challenging moments and we’ve spoken about various aspects,” he said after Singapore. “But ultimately it’s a learning process for the entire squad.”

Six meetings remain. McLaren have little wriggle room left to do their cramming, thus perhaps wiser to just close the books and step back from the fray.