Horner: Ricciardo’s fastest lap not a plot against McLaren

Christian Horner has denied any allegations of collusion between Red Bull and its sister team, Visa Cash App RB, following Daniel Ricciardo’s fastest lap at the end of Sunday’s Singapore Grand Prix.

The Aussie’s late-race achievement ultimately deprived McLaren’s Lando Norris of an additional championship point, raising questions about the strategic intentions behind the move.

Ricciardo was brought into the pits on the penultimate lap of the race at Marina Bay, enabling him to mount a set of soft tyres and clock the fastest lap of the race.

However, because he was outside the top 10, Ricciardo did not receive the extra point, effectively only preventing Norris and McLaren from gaining the bonus.

While many believed that the move was a fitting tribute bestowed upon the 35-year-old F1 veteran by his RB team in what may have been his final F1 race, McLaren CEO Zak Brown saw a case of unsporting complicity between the two Red Bull teams.

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

In response to Brown’s comments, Horner dismissed any suggestion that Ricciardo was used as a pawn in a broader tactical game aimed at disadvantaging McLaren.

“Racing Bulls [RB] stopped and did the fastest lap at the end of the race,” Horner said. “There’s nothing more to it than that.”

Horner further defended the integrity of the decision, pointing out that Ricciardo’s late-race pit stop was a standard tactical choice, unlinked to any overarching team strategy involving Red Bull and its sister outfit.

“Kevin Magnussen would have had it had he not gone wide earlier in the race and he has a Ferrari engine. Every team has its own independence,” Horner remarked, emphasizing the autonomy of individual teams in making race decisions.

Despite Horner's explanation, Brown has persistently voiced concerns over the implications of Red Bull’s dual-team setup, particularly in the context of a close championship fight.

Horner acknowledged the scrutiny that naturally accompanies such situations due to the shared ownership.

“It’s always going to get raised because it’s the same ownership, so it’s inevitable that question’s going to get raised,” he conceded.

“But... Remember, he [Ricciardo] gets paid a bonus on a fastest lap,” Horner noted.

Several hours after Sunday’s race, Horner and Brown found themselves on the same long haul flight back to the UK, which offered the two men a chance of a sit-down to discuss the day's’ events.

And it appeared that all is well that ends well, according to Brown who posted on social media a picture of Horner and himself mending the fences and turning the page.

“Peace in F1 has been restored on flight home (where’s Netflix when you need them!) - but the battle will continue on track,” wrote the McLaren chief. “What an awesome sport!”

No argument there…