Norris sends Red Bull warning as controversial Ricciardo fastest lap revisited

Lando Norris has warned Red Bull that McLaren are prepared to challenge them in a “deeper manner” if VCARB repeat their Singapore Grand Prix fastest lap stunt with Daniel Ricciardo.

It comes after the FIA confirmed on Thursday that F1 will no longer hand out a bonus point for the fastest lap of the race from the F1 2025 season.

Lando Norris warns Red Bull over Daniel Ricciardo fastest lap repeat

Additional reporting by Elizabeth Blackstock

Ricciardo appeared to contest his final F1 race at last month’s Singapore GP, where the Australian pitted for fresh tyres in the closing laps to set the fastest lap.

With Ricciardo coming home as the last of the classified finishers in 18th place, he was ineligible for the bonus point, which is only available to drivers who finish inside the top 10.

However, Ricciardo’s lap did take the bonus point away from race winner Norris in a hugely controversial moment given the shared ownership between the VCARB and Red Bull teams.

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Championship leader Max Verstappen, who holds a 52-point advantage over Norris with six races remaining of F1 2024, was heard thanking Ricciardo over team radio after the race when informed that his former team-mate had taken the fastest lap away from the McLaren driver.

McLaren team principal Andrea Stella went on to argue after the race that teams should “behave in a totally autonomous manner” and aired fears of a “coaltion championship” with VCARB helping to preserve Verstappen’s lead over Norris.

Speaking to media including PlanetF1.com ahead of this weekend’s United States Grand Prix, Norris insisted that he will not blame Ricciardo’s fastest lap in Singapore if he fails to beat Verstappen to the F1 2024 title over the coming weeks.

Yet he warned Red Bull that McLaren are ready to act on any further tricks between now and the end of the season.

Asked if it would be frustrating if he loses the title as a result of Ricciardo’s fastest lap in Singapore, especially now F1 and the FIA have decided to abandon the practice for F1 2025, he said: “No, I wouldn’t look at that as the reason.

“I would probably put the blame down to other things this season that could have been better, rather than Daniel in his final race getting a fastest lap.

“It might come down to that at the end of the year. And if that’s the case, then so be it.

“But I don’t think that’s [going to be pivotal]. People have done that for years. I know it’s just odd timing and people are quick to jump on things, but it depends.

“The circumstance of how it happened. I guess, is a unique one.

“Daniel knew it was his last race and it’s a – I won’t say it’s a nice way to go out, because I don’t think any way to go out is a nice one – but if it wasn’t and it was just him going for fastest lap, then it’s a bit more of a question mark and something I think we probably would have questioned more as a team.

“I know they’re changing the rules for next year and these kind of things.

“But if it was a repetitive thing, if it was to happen again this weekend or next weekend, then I think that’s where we would probably question it in a much deeper manner.

“I don’t want to just say I accept it because it was his final race, because it’s got nothing to do for his championship or their championship – it was something to take away from me.

“I would never blame Daniel, I would never blame [VCARB], but if it’s done with intent to do such a thing then it’s obviously not what we agree with.

“And I don’t think it’s something that Formula 1 would agree with either.

“So the answer is, no, I wouldn’t blame it on this. It’ll be down to other reasons.”

Asked if he supports the decision to drop the bonus point for next season, he added: “I have no idea. I don’t know why they’ve done it.

“I kind of liked how it is now. There’s an opportunity to go for something else.

“Sometimes you pay the price for risking such a thing and it’s always been a risk in certain scenarios, if your pit stop goes wrong and different reasons.

“The thing is that if it’s such a case, like we had in Singapore or something like that that’s repetitive, I think it’s the correct thing to do.

“But I don’t know. I don’t feel like they should change it just because of people questioning it after Singapore.

“So I don’t know. It’s got nothing to do with me. It was all a team manager thing, so it has got nothing to do with us.”

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