The F1 teams, the FOM and the FIA agreed during the last FIA World Council which took place this Thursday to vote on the removal of the point for the best lap in a race.
Originally, there were probably suspicions of collusion between RB F1 and Red Bull Racing in Singapore, when Ricciardo deprived Norris of the point for the fastest lap. A farewell gift to the Australian perhaps, a good operation for Verstappen, certainly!
The drivers were questioned in Austin about the decision. Carlos Sainz supported it and instead asked for a point for the pole sitter.
“I have never been a fan of this rule and am therefore not unhappy that it is being abolished. In recent years the point for the fastest lap in a race went to the driver who, due to the way the race is took place, was able to make a pit stop without losing his place and so it didn’t really reward the best. In my opinion, it would be more logical to award a point to the driver who gets pole position, given. that, in this case, it will really go to the driver who achieved the best time The point for the fastest lap in the race will certainly not be missed.
His teammate Charles Leclerc said he was not too bothered by the decision.
“It doesn’t always reward the best driver like Carlos said. Because usually that point is awarded to the driver who is in a position to make an extra pit stop without losing his place. I don’t think that it will be greatly missed, partly because, so far, it has not had much effect on the outcome of the championship.”
For Fernando Alonso, no clear-cut opinion: “I don’t know, I’ve raced 90% of my career without a point for the fastest lap and it was going very well. It won’t change much, if they decide that’s the right thing to do, we will support them.”
And don’t count on Lance Stroll to launch into a tirade on this subject: “It doesn’t matter, I don’t have a strong opinion.”
George Russell claims that “I always thought the best lap rule was a strange rule, because if a driver had a bad race, he could put on new tires and do the fastest lap. It was often a driver around ninth or tenth place who could and he wasn’t the fastest driver in the race, so I’m not sad that this rule is going away.
Esteban Ocon agrees with Sainz’s opinion on the point for the pole sitter.
“For us drivers, being on pole is something very important and I think for all of you. It’s something we put a lot of effort into and it’s very rewarding. In racing we race for to win. You don’t necessarily race to be the fastest on a lap. I never thought it was a good thing, to have a point, for the race, it would be much more. rewarding and something I would prefer.”
Lando Norris’ opinion was also expected after what happened in Singapore.
“I have no idea. I don’t know why they did that. Whether it’s because of Ricciardo or not.”
“I kind of liked where it was right now. I mean, you know, there’s an opportunity to go for something else. Sometimes you pay the price for taking that risk, and that’s always been a risk in certain scenarios. If your pit stop goes wrong, you know, for different reasons.”
“The fact is, if what we had in Singapore or something like that is repeated, with alliances, then it’s the right thing to do. But I don’t know. I don’t think they should change just because people are questioning it after Singapore.”
“So I don’t know. It has nothing to do with me. It’s a question for the team managers.”
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