McLaren’s Brown to query fastest lap fiasco

SINGAPORE — McLaren CEO Zak Brown plans to “ask questions” amid suggestions Red Bull’s two teams worked together to take the fastest lap point from Lando Norris at the Singapore Grand Prix.

Norris, who is in a title battle with Red Bull’s Max Verstappen, was on course to secure the point for fastest lap in Sunday’s race until RB driver Daniel Ricciardo pitted for fresh tyres and set a quicker time on the final lap.

The bonus point for fastest lap was not available to Ricciardo as he was running outside the top ten in 18th place, meaning his lap only served to prevent Norris scoring the point.

Red Bull Racing and RB are both owned by the same Red Bull parent company and Brown has raised concerns about the two teams working together in the past.

“That’s a nice A / B team sporting thing that I didn’t think was allowed,” Brown said when Sirius XM asked him about Ricciardo’s fastest lap. “But hey, that’s not the first time we’ve seen it, probably won’t be the last.”

Asked if he would follow up on the issue, the McLaren CEO added: “I’ll certainly ask some questions.

“It’s something I’ve spoken about in the past and I think it illustrates that it does happen, because I think you wouldn’t have made that pit stop to go for that.

“It’s not going to get anyone a point, so I think it does illustrate the issue around that topic.”

Speaking to media on Sunday evening, Horner said the two teams had not worked together to prevent Norris scoring the point.

RB team principal Laurent Mekies said the decision was taken as Ricciardo could be replaced by Liam Lawson before the next round in Austin, Texas.

“Given this may have been Daniel’s last race, we wanted to give him the chance to savour it and go out with the fastest lap.”