By Graham Duxbury @TheRealDux

Congratulations to McLaren- clinching the Formula One Constructors’ Championship in Singapore is a significant achievement. But the celebrations were overshadowed somewhat by tension between the team’s drivers.

On lap one, Oscar Piastri was visibly upset after being nudged by teammate Lando Norris, costing him track position. Piastri, in heated radio messages, asked of the team “are we cool with Lando just barging me out of the way?”.

McLaren chose not to intervene during the race, explaining that Norris had to avoid contact with Max Verstappen, and deferred any analysis until afterward.

Norris, for his part, defended the move: “Anyone on the grid would have done exactly the same thing … if you fault me for just going on the inside of a big gap then you should not be in F1.”

He also conceded that he misjudged how close he was to Verstappen, but insisted there was no ill intent toward Piastri.

Some commentators suggest that the “papaya rules” - the ethos of giving both McLaren drivers freedom to race - may now come under strain. Expert pundit Martin Brundle argued that “the ground rules have just changed” between Norris and Piastri, hinting that McLaren may have to intervene more in the weeks ahead.

With six races remaining, McLaren faces a delicate balancing act in managing the rivalry between two ambitious drivers locked in a tightening Drivers’ Championship battle.