McLaren has declared that Formula 1 is not a “coalition championship” as RB nicked Lando Norris’ fastest lap in the Singapore Grand Prix to help sister team Red Bull.
McLaren has declared that Formula 1 is not a “coalition championship” as RB nicked Lando Norris’ fastest lap in the Singapore Grand Prix to help sister team Red Bull.
I don’t find “oh come on, you’d do it if you could” to be a solid defense.
McLaren doesn’t have a sister team, Red Bull does, and that sister team has made decisions on a number of occasions that have benefitted Red Bull.
Oh yeah, I agree, it’s not a good excus. I guess I just find it a tiny bit silly that McLaren are even bringing this up. Yes, it’s a point taken away from Lando, a point that could end up mattering come end of season. But, it’s also just one point. If some other team had squeezed in a fastets lap it more than likely wouldn’t have been mentioned.
And, I really don’t find it completely implausible that Racing Bulls’ primary motivation was to send Ricciardo off with a fastest lap attached to his stats, although I’m sure they considered how it would be a nice gesture to RB, as well.
In fairness to McLaren (and others), this has been brought up repeatedly for years. Not just now that Lando lost a point.
And championships have been won and lost by a single point, they definitely matter