Ricciardo taking point from Norris illustrates ‘issue’ of B-teams

McLaren Racing CEO Zak Brown says he will raise questions over the manner in which Lando Norris lost the bonus point for fastest lap to a driver from Red Bull’s second Formula 1 team.

Daniel Ricciardo, participating in what is understood to be his final race for Red Bull’s junior team RB, was told to pit from 18th place, three laps from the end of the race, to fit a set of soft tyres, despite not being in a position to score the bonus point himself. By beating Norris’ time, Ricciardo took the bonus point off the McLaren driver.

Norris’ loss of the point has potentially significant implications as he closes on championship leader Max Verstappen. It has put Verstappen in a position where he could win the title by finishing second to Norris in all the remaining races, which was not previously the case.

RB team principal Laurent Mekies said Ricciardo was given the chance to set the fastest lap because “this may have been Daniel’s last race.” Ricciardo said he did it “with a little bit of Red Bull in mind” and “maybe just to have one last crack at doing a fast one.”

However Brown, who has previously said F1 should prevent multiple teams from having the same owner, indicated his suspicions over Ricciardo’s fastest lap bid.

“That’s a nice A/B-team sporting thing that I didn’t think was allowed,” he told SiriusXM. “But that’s not the first time we’ve seen it, probably won’t be the last.”

The McLaren team boss said he’ll “certainly ask some questions” over the situation. “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.

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

Brown previously raised concerns over “questionable” incidents involving so-called B-teams as long ago as 2018, when he urged F1’s owner Liberty Media to make changes “for the health of the sport.”