McLaren Urges F1 to Examine Red Bull-RB Alliance After Controversial Fastest Lap in Singapore GP

McLaren raises concerns over "strange" quickest lap and urges scrutiny of the Red Bull-RB partnership.

McLaren has urged for a closer examination of the ties between Red Bull and RB following Daniel Ricciardo's move that prevented Lando Norris from securing the fastest lap bonus at the F1 Singapore Grand Prix.

On Lap 48, by clocking the quickest lap, Norris was poised to reduce Max Verstappen's lead in the championship by eight points while en route to claiming victory in Sunday's race at the Marina Bay Street Circuit, finishing ahead of the Red Bull competitor.

In a strategic move, Red Bull's affiliate team, RB, opted to have Ricciardo switch to new soft tyres towards the end of the race. This decision allowed the Australian driver to secure the fastest lap on the last circuit. Although Ricciardo was not in a position to earn a point because he was not among the top 10, his action effectively took the point away from Norris and McLaren, providing support to Verstappen and Red Bull in their championship aspirations.

McLaren's team leader, Andrea Stella, found the choice to be unusual, though he acknowledged his inability to confirm the motive behind the pursuit of the fastest lap.

"Stella emphasized the importance of the issue, stating, 'The moment sportsmanship is brought into the conversation, I believe it's crucial to handle it with the level of responsibility I aim to uphold.'"

"I'm not fully informed on the details, but I observed Racing Bulls aiming for and successfully securing the fastest lap. However, discussing their sportsmanship or similar topics feels inappropriate to me. In my view, we should accept their achievement of the fastest lap for what it is."

"In the context of ongoing discussions, it's crucial to ensure that the sport is structured in such a way that teams operate independently, whether they're at the racetrack or in the manufacturing facilities. This is essential because the competition is designed to be a Constructors' Championship and a Drivers' Championship, not a championship of alliances. Thus, addressing this issue is imperative.

"However, at no moment can I claim to possess information suggesting Racing Bulls aimed for the quickest lap to assist Red Bull. It strikes me as somewhat odd. It was unexpected for me."

I found it somewhat unexpected that Racing Bull's top objective during the race in Singapore was to achieve the quickest lap time.

"Simultaneously, I feel a great deal of empathy, backing, and camaraderie towards Daniel, and it brings me joy to know he could include this quickest lap in his list of achievements."

Norris is trailing Verstappen by 52 points with only six races left, and McLaren is ahead of Red Bull by 41 points in the constructors' standings.

Zak Brown, the CEO of McLaren Racing, who has openly opposed the idea of teams in F1 having the same owner, mentioned he will bring up his concerns about 'B-teams' once more.

"Brown mentioned to SiriusXM, 'I was surprised to see such an A/B-team sports maneuver being permitted. However, it's not something new, and likely, it won't be the last time we witness it."

"I've mentioned this before, and I believe it serves as proof that such events do occur, because otherwise, you wouldn't have taken the detour to pursue that."

"This won't score anyone any points, indicating the problem surrounding this subject."

Ricciardo's quickest circuit is being seen as his last performance in Formula 1, as the Australian is expected to be substituted by Red Bull's backup driver, Liam Lawson, ahead of the upcoming United States Grand Prix next month.

Laurent Mekies, the team principal for RB, acknowledged that the Singapore Grand Prix "could potentially be Daniel's final race" and mentioned that the team "aimed to provide him the opportunity to enjoy it by securing the fastest lap."

Ricciardo humorously commented that he anticipates receiving a holiday gift from Red Bull after his departure from McLaren following the 2022 season.

"Partially, and I say this with no disrespect to Lando, I'm actually rooting for Max to take the title by a single point. If that happens, it seems I've secured an excellent Christmas gift for myself," he shared with Sky Sports F1.

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