You might be right, but only if the science is 100% right,...

You might be right, but only if the science is 100% right, because if it is just a little bit wrong then, being a complex system, all the modelling and preparation becomes wrong, as a tipping point trigger could be caused by something altogether unrelated, and the whole global effort becomes a misapplied use of limited resource - and this is where the competitive sensibilities of one brand could help the collective sensibilities of the other.

But to allow the competitive edge to truly weave it's magic, the collective edge needs to remind itself that it has to stop being so "bossy".

You can't control creativity, you have to let it meander and flourish. Likewise, a creative mind that is an arsehole about it will likely not get a platform for recognition, at least not in their lifetime.

So it is different elements from both brands that need to be harnessed and/or discarded. That won't happen if you only use "The science" as a metric for success. It is only one piece of the puzzle.