Lando Norris has 'no complaints' with Daniel Ricciardo fastest lap point ‘steal’

Lando Norris says he has no complaints with Daniel Ricciardo taking the fastest lap bonus point off him in the F1 Singapore Grand Prix.

The RB driver made a late third visit to the pits for a new set of soft tyres at the end of Sunday’s race and proceeded to set the fastest lap on the final tour, which had been held by McLaren’s Norris.

In doing so, Ricciardo snatched a point away from Norris and McLaren, helping Max Verstappen and Red Bull - who share the same owner as sister team RB - in their respective championship fights.

Norris’s victory over Verstappen in Singapore has seen him cut the Dutchman’s championship advantage down to 52 points with six races remaining.

Asked what his reaction was when he heard that Ricciardo had got the fastest lap, the 24-year-old Briton replied: “Well done, Daniel. I don't know.

“Nothing I can do is good on him. I did my best at trying to get a quicker lap when the tyres were in a good condition in the middle. But I can't have them all, you know.

“I've done my best at trying to get quicker laps over the last few weekends and I've been able to get them more often than not. But I can't, on a hard tyre in the middle of a stint, beat a guy on a new soft. That's just life.”

Although there is no evidence that Red Bull ordered RB to pit Ricciardo, the consequences of the decision which ultimately aided Verstappen’s title bid has raised ethical questions.

Pushed on whether he thinks it was unfair, Norris responded: “That's how it's been in Formula 1 for, I don't know, probably since before I was born, so... Nothing to complain about.

“There's been races in the past when other people have been racing. We try to take it away from others. So, yes, the logical thing to do. The smart play by them. Happy for Daniel. That's all.”

Ricciardo, who is expected to lose his RB seat to Liam Lawson for the upcoming United States Grand Prix, joked he expects a Christmas present from Red Bull.

“Part of me is – I don’t mean this against Lando – but part of me is hoping Max wins by one point, because I think I guaranteed myself a really nice Christmas present if so,” he told Sky.

“It’s just, I think obviously, yeah, it’s with a little bit of Red Bull in mind. But maybe just to have one last crack at doing a fast one, if it is to be it.”

Red Bull team principal Christian Horner also acknowledged the potential importance of Ricciardo’s actions.

“Daniel, we know his capabilities, we know exactly what he’s done,” Horner told the official F1 channel.

“He showed, again, with that final lap that he did that which obviously was valuable to us because obviously it takes the point off Lando.”