McLaren Racing CEO Zak Brown says he’ll ask questions regarding Daniel Ricciardo’s quickest lap on the finish of the Singapore Grand Prix, because it helped Pink Bull.
RB opted to pit Ricciardo from 18th place and match a brand new set of sentimental tires to take the quickest lap away from Lando Norris, a transfer he duly accomplished to stop Norris scoring an additional level. It meant race-winner Norris solely outscored Max Verstappen by seven factors slightly than eight, and Brown believes it highlights an issue with Pink Bull proudly owning two totally different groups.
“That’s a pleasant A/B crew sporting factor that I didn’t assume was allowed…” Brown instructed SiriusXM. “However hey, that’s not the primary time we’ve seen it, in all probability received’t be the final.
“I’ll definitely ask some questions. It’s one thing I’ve spoken about up to now and I feel it illustrates that it does occur, as a result of I feel you wouldn’t have made that pit cease to go for that. It’s not going to get anybody a degree, so I feel it does illustrate the difficulty round that matter.”
Brown raised considerations regarding Pink Bull’s possession of RB over the previous 12 months, however Pink Bull crew principal Christian Horner says the groups make their very own choices.
“Racing Bulls stopped and did the quickest lap on the finish of the race!” Horner additionally instructed SiriusXM. “There’s nothing extra to it than that. Kevin Magnussen would have had it had he not gone large earlier within the race and he has a Ferrari engine. Each crew has its personal independence.”
When it was put to Horner that Magnussen needed to pit because of a puncture, whereas RB risked a automobile that was ending 18th, he admitted the possession state of affairs would result in scrutiny.
“Positive, certain. It’s all the time going to get raised as a result of it’s the identical possession, so it’s inevitable that query’s going to get raised,” he stated. “However Daniel’s lap in a grand prix automobile… He wished to… Keep in mind, he will get paid a bonus on a quickest lap.”
Whereas Verstappen stated he was grateful to Ricciardo for the transfer, Norris himself downplayed any frustration on the misplaced level.
“Effectively accomplished, Daniel,” Norris stated. “I don’t know. Nothing I can do, so good on him. I did my finest at making an attempt to get a quickest lap when the tires had been in an excellent situation within the center, however I can’t have all of them. I’ve accomplished my finest at making an attempt to get quickest laps over the previous few weekends and I’ve been in a position to get them as a rule. However I can’t, on a tough tire in the midst of a stint, beat a man on a brand new delicate. That’s simply life.”
