Controversy in the Fast Lane: Red Bull’s Dual-Team Ownership Sparks Debate After Singapore GP Drama

Fresh Criticism Emerges Over Red Bull's Ownership of Two F1 Teams Following Bizarre Fastest Lap Incident

"The concern here is that in a sport such as Formula 1, it is not appropriate for a single owner to control two teams."

Former Haas Formula 1 team principal Guenther Steiner believes that Red Bull should not have ownership of two racing teams, especially following Daniel Ricciardo's attempt to secure the fastest lap during the closing moments of the Singapore Grand Prix.

Daniel Ricciardo narrowly beat Lando Norris to secure the quickest lap time at the Marina Bay Street Circuit.

Norris was set to reduce Max Verstappen's advantage in the championship standings by securing an additional point. However, it was the intervention of Red Bull's affiliated team, VCARB, that prevented Norris from achieving the fastest lap.

Norris not achieving the quickest lap in Singapore indicates that Verstappen can now consistently finish in second place in each race, including sprints, to clinch the world championship this year.

As expected, McLaren's CEO Zak Brown criticized VCARB's actions, once more raising concerns about Red Bull's ownership of two teams.

Expressing his perspective on the matter, Steiner called it "a bit strange."

On the Red Flags podcast, Steiner mentioned that the timing of the fastest lap seemed somewhat unusual. He also expressed the opinion that in Formula 1, it's inappropriate for any owner to have control over two teams.

There is always a lingering doubt about the existence of coordinated strategies not just within a single team, but among different teams. We should acknowledge and respect Red Bull's actions back then, as I played a role when Mr. Mateschitz acquired Minardi.

Formula 1 faced challenges, and Minardi was also experiencing difficulties. Without intervention, both would have disappeared. Since those days, F1 has evolved significantly. Looking ahead, a potential solution might be to prevent any individual from owning two teams.

Steiner believes that this topic ought to be a significant subject of discussion in the years ahead.

However, he suggested that it is unnecessary to take drastic measures such as insisting on resolving this issue in the upcoming Concorde Agreement or commercial deal.

"Red Bull's contributions to transforming Formula 1 to its current state are truly remarkable. Ultimately, it's not feasible to dictate their actions regarding their teams. However, moving forward, it's important to consider how such situations can be prevented."

"If Visa Cash App and Red Bull didn't share the same ownership, there wouldn't have been any doubt. People would have simply believed it was Daniel Ricciardo's final celebration."

"If, for instance, the Sauber had set the quickest lap, would there be any concern? Absolutely not."

"The issue is that it is under the ownership of the same individuals."

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