F1: does it make sense to keep additional point for fastest lap of race?
Today at 03:26 PM
Since its introduction, the additional point for the fastest lap in the race has been considered a merit-based element for the driver who achieves it, but criticism surrounding how it is obtained has certainly not been lacking.
The latest issue occurred during the Singapore Grand Prix, a race deservedly won by Lando Norris, who led from the first lap with a significant advantage over Max Verstappen. The English driver had set the fastest lap, which would have allowed him to reduce the gap in the drivers’ standings to 52 points instead of 53 from the Dutchman.
Daniel Ricciardo, thanks to a pit stop in the final laps, snatched the fastest lap, taking it away from the McLaren driver, thus ending the race with 25 points instead of 26. An emblematic moment was the radio message from Gianpiero Lambiase (Verstappen’s race engineer) to the Dutchman, where he said: “Your friend Daniel set the fastest lap,” to which the three-time world champion simply thanked the Australian for what had happened.
The question many are asking is whether the additional point for the fastest lap in the race really makes sense, considering the numerous team strategies that can be employed to secure the point.
We know that even a single point can make a difference in the world championship standings, especially considering the current point in the season, with only six races and three sprint races remaining. What happened in Singapore was considered by many to be “help between Red Bull affiliates,” as the driver who snatched the fastest lap belongs to the Visa Cash App RB, Red Bull's satellite team. Even Zak Brown shares this opinion, stating after the race: “I will ask questions about this; teams need to operate independently on a sporting level. In this case, there was a Serie A team and a Serie B team.”
Should the FIA review what happened to find solutions that make the awarding of the additional point fairer? One option could be to shift the awarding of the point to qualifying, giving it to the pole sitter, thus avoiding awkward situations during the race. We don’t know what will happen in the next races or whether the point that Lando Norris was deprived of will make a difference, but one thing is certain: in Formula 1, nothing is predictable or guaranteed, especially this season.
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