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The British racing team and Formula One could do with anything decisive in the title fight between Norris and Oscar Piastri getting resolved on the track rather than without reference to the pit wall as the title run-in begins this weekend at Circuit of the Americas on Friday.

Singapore Grand Prix fallout leads to internal strain

After the Marina Bay event’s doubtless extensive and stressful post-race analyses concluded, the Woking-based squad will be hoping for a reset. Norris was likely more than aware of the historical context of his riposte to his aggrieved teammate during the previous grand prix weekend. During an intense title fight with the Australian, that Norris invoked a famous Senna most famous sentiments did not go unnoticed but the incident which triggered his statement was of an entirely different nature from incidents characterizing Senna's great rivalries.

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

His comment appeared to paraphrase Senna’s “Should you stop attempting an available gap which is there then you cease to be a racing driver” defence he provided to Sir Jackie Stewart after he ploughed into the French champion at Suzuka back in 1990, securing him the championship.

Similar spirit but different circumstances

While the spirit is similar, the wording marks where parallels stop. The late champion confessed he never intended of letting Prost beat him at turn one whereas Norris did try to make his pass cleanly at the Marina Bay circuit. Indeed, it was a perfectly valid effort that went unpenalised despite the minor contact he made against his McLaren teammate as he went through. This incident was a result of him touching the car of Max Verstappen ahead of him.

The Australian responded angrily and, notably, immediately declared that Norris gaining the place was “unfair”; suggesting that their collision was verboten 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 in any cases between them, both will promptly appeal the squad to step in on his behalf.

Squad management and fairness being examined

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 creating complex dilemmas when establishing rules about what defines just or unjust – under these conditions, now covers misfortune, strategy and on-track occurrences like in Marina Bay – there is the question regarding opinions.

Most crucially for the championship, six races left, Piastri is ahead of Norris by twenty-two points, each racer's view exists on fairness and when their opinion may diverge from the team's stance. That is when their friendly rapport among them could eventually – become a little bit more Senna-Prost.

“It’s going to come a point where minor points count,” said Mercedes team principal Wolff after Singapore. “Then they’ll start to calculate and re-calculations and I suppose aggression will increase a bit more. That’s when it starts to get interesting.”

Viewer desires and championship implications

For the audience, during this dual battle, increased excitement will likely be appreciated as an on-track confrontation rather than a spreadsheet-based arbitration of circumstances. Not least because in Formula One the other impression from these events is not particularly rousing.

Honestly speaking, McLaren is taking the correct decisions for their interests with successful results. They clinched their 10th constructors’ title in Singapore (though a great achievement overshadowed by the controversy from their drivers' clash) and with Stella as team principal they have an ethical and principled leader who genuinely wants to do the right thing.

Racing purity versus squad control

However, with racers in a championship fight appealing to the team for resolutions is unedifying. Their competition 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, than the impression that each contentious incident will be pored over by the squad to determine if intervention is needed and subsequently resolved later in private.

The scrutiny will increase and each time it happens it is in danger of possibly affecting outcomes which might prove decisive. Previously, following the team's decision for position swaps in Italy due to Norris experiencing a delayed stop and Piastri feeling he was treated unfairly regarding tactics in Budapest, where Norris won, the spectre of a fear about bias also emerges.

Team perspective and upcoming tests

No one wants to witness a championship endlessly debated over perceived that the efforts to be fair were unequal. Questioned whether he felt the team had acted correctly toward both racers, Piastri said he believed they had, but noted that it was an ever-evolving approach.

“We've had several difficult situations and we discussed a number of things,” he stated post-race. “But ultimately it's educational for the entire squad.”

Six meetings remain. McLaren have little wriggle room left to do their cramming, so it may be better to just stop analyzing and step back from the conflict.