F1 | Fast lap: a point to be abolished to avoid controversy?

Around the table of the rules that have governed Formula 1 since 1998, sit representatives of all the realities of the paddock. Every innovation is proposed, discussed and voted on. As much as the insiders try to foresee all the possible scenarios related to the introduction of a new rule in the regulation (technical or sporting), not everything is foreseen with surgical precision. An example came in the Singapore Grand Prix held last weekend.

By setting the fastest lap of the race, Daniel Ricciardo took a point away from Lando Norris in the world championship, sparking some controversy. Some saw Racing Bulls’ decision to fit Ricciardo with a final set of soft tyres as a favour to Red Bull, but others saw it as a final tribute to the Australian driver, at his final Grand Prix in Formula 1.

Regardless of the reasons behind Racing Bulls’ choice, what happened in Marina Bay has highlighted a potentially problematic situation that Formula 1 (FIA, Liberty and teams) will have to deal with. The additional point awarded to the fastest lap was reintroduced in Formula 1 in the 2019 season, previously present in the sporting regulations from 1950 to 1959.

Six years ago, the different scenarios were evaluated, and it was decided that the point would be awarded only if the driver with the best time finished the race in the top 10. A decision aimed at preventing the fastest lap from becoming a bonus reserved for drivers who were able to allow a pit stop in the final stages of the race without any problems.

Before Singapore, however, no one had considered the possibility that a driver (outside the rankings or for other interests) could deliberately decide to take away an additional point from an opponent. Only three years ago, Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton arrived on the eve of the last race of the championship with the same number of points, and although it is not a frequent scenario, the possibility that a single point could become crucial for the assignment of a world title cannot be considered unreal. The controversy that emerged yesterday was triggered by the common ownership of Racing Bulls and Red Bull, but in the face of a world championship fought on the edge of a single point, alliances can be born regardless of the ownership of the individual teams.

Before even considering possible solutions (it would be yet another rule to add) we must first consider the meaning of the additional point linked to the fastest lap. With the current tire management, which guarantees a performance bonus in the first laps, it is a bonus that has nothing to do with the performance of the drivers.

The best time of the race is a goal that can be achieved by all the cars on the track, provided that they return to the pits three laps from the end to put on a new set of tires. The difference is made by the position in the standings or the gap over the opponent behind them. A driver who has dominated a race, but without having an advantage sufficient to be able to stop in the pits for an additional pit stop, is out of the game compared to an opponent who is sailing in the last positions and has nothing to lose with an extra stop. What’s the point?

In addition to Singapore, this season the additional point for the fastest lap was not awarded in Miami (where Piastri, outside the points zone, took it away from Perez) and in Spielberg, where Alonso (second to last under the checkered flag) took it away from Verstappen.

Putting it all on the scales, the hunt for the fastest lap in sporting and show terms doesn’t really add anything, but there is the risk that in a very competitive world championship it could become a reason for great controversy and potential alliances, triggering potentially very critical scenarios for Formula 1. Is it worth it?