McLaren team boss Andrea Stella called for an “overhaul” of the relationship between Red Bull and RB after Daniel Ricciardo’s “strange” fastest lap at the Singapore Grand Prix cost race winner Lando Norris a point.
Given McLaren’s dominant performance at Marina Bay, Norris was hoping to cut Max Verstappen’s lead at the top of the Drivers’ Championship to eight points after setting the fastest time on lap 48.
However, that extra point was lost because Ricciardo, who was racing at the back of the field in what increasingly looks like his last race in Formula 1, pitted for a fresh set of soft tyres and was almost half a second faster than Norris’ best effort on his final lap.
Ricciardo does not receive a point for finishing outside the top 10, but with the McLaren now clearly the fastest car on the grid, anything could count as Norris looks to reduce his now 52-point gap to Red Bull’s Verstappen in the final six Grands Prix of the season.
While Stella did not directly accuse Red Bull and its sister team of collaborating in Singapore, she said a longer-term discussion about the proximity of the two teams may be necessary.
“This is a big deal. You know, once you invoke sportsmanship, I think you have to approach it with a sense of responsibility, which is what I want to have,” he said when asked about the call.
Andrea Stella, Team Principal, McLaren F1 Team
Photo by: Simon Galloway / Motorsport Images
“I don’t know the facts. I just saw that RB wanted to set the fastest lap and they did it. But for me it would be out of place to talk about sportsmanship and so on. So I think we have to take it at face value.
“They set the fastest lap and perhaps as part of a longer-term discussion we need to move the sport to a position where the teams are completely autonomous at every stage – whether at the track or in the factory – because this is a constructors’ championship.”
“This definitely needs to be addressed. But at no point did I have any indication that RB wanted to drive the fastest lap to support Red Bull. I just find it a bit… how should I say… strange. I didn’t see that coming.”
“I was a little bit surprised that RB Racing’s number one priority in Singapore was to set the fastest lap. I think we just need to work harder to make sure this (championship) is not a one-point affair.
“At the same time, I feel so much sympathy, support and friendship for Daniel that I am just happy that he can add this fastest lap to his track record.”
Norris said the two teams made a “smart move” in securing the fastest lap for their former McLaren teammate Ricciardo, admitting it was the “most logical” thing to do.
Christian Horner, team boss, Red Bull Racing
Photo by: Red Bull Content Pool
Red Bull team boss Christian Horner declined to comment on the situation, saying it was up to RB to explain the reasons behind it. However, Verstappen’s teammate Sergio Perez revealed that the team had considered bringing him into the pits to set the fastest time.
“I don’t know what happened there. I think the team discussed it… so in the end we decided to stick with what was decided. I think the team thought about it, but in the end it didn’t happen,” he concluded.
Additional reporting by Jonathan Noble and Ronald Vording
