Ricciardo: Red Bull 'could have been more fair' with Verstappen tow

Daniel Ricciardo believes that Red Bull "could have been more fair" in its attempt to try and give teammate Max Verstappen a tow during Formula 1 qualifying for the Austrian Grand Prix as tensions flared between the two drivers.

Ricciardo was heard fuming over the team radio as he ran ahead of Verstappen on-track at the Red Bull Ring in the final few minutes of qualifying, punching a hole in the air to try and create a slipstream for his teammate.

Ricciardo told the team there was "no point in my running", only to be told to keep going on-track, while Verstappen ignored an order from the team to pass his teammate on-track, saying "it's discipline".

Verstappen was unable to gain much time from the tactic, finishing fifth, while Ricciardo slipped behind Haas' Romain Grosjean to finish seventh in Q3, leaving him on the fourth row of the grid.

"I am not too impressed to be honest. We had three runs, and I was just punching a hole for everyone," Ricciardo told Sky Sports after qualifying.

"I think if I got one run fair enough but… I’m not that happy, that is all.

"We could have been more fair."

Asked if he was surprised by Haas' pace, Ricciardo said: "Yes I am, it is a short lap here so there is a chance for everyone, everything it is a bit more compressed for the lap time.

"They have been strong all weekend so I think Romain is sixth so he did a good job."

Verstappen revealed in the TV pen that Red Bull has been alternating which driver has ran ahead on-track so far this season, claiming that as he did so at Paul Ricard last weekend, it was Ricciardo's turn to do it this time around.

"We have a very simple policy here that's operated for the last seven years is that we alternate from weekend to weekend who drives out of the garage first," Red Bull team principal Christian Horner said.

"It's the only way to keep it scrupulously fair from circuit to circuit. This weekend was Daniel's turn to drive out of the garage first ahead of Max. Obviously he felt that Max might be benefitting from that. That's why he started to back up a bit.

"The drivers know explicitly every weekend it alternates. Last weekend, Max drove out first, Daniel would have followed him. Next weekend it will be the othe rway around. Even in the debrief, from weekend to weekend, there it's who talks first. It's the way to keep it as scrupulously fair as we can.

"They know the situation. There's nothing to explain."