Daniel Ricciardo, in a surprising turn of events, aided his former teammate Max Verstappen by snatching a World Championship point from Lando Norris. The Australian driver managed to secure the fastest lap during the Singapore Grand Prix, thereby reducing the points Norris could gain on Verstappen in the drivers’ championship.
Ricciardo began the race in the streets of Singapore in sixteenth place, finishing at the bottom of the rankings. However, for Verstappen and Red Bull fans, the Australian might have been the hero of the day. In the final laps of the race, the Visa RB driver aimed for the fastest lap, which was then held by winner Lando Norris. Ricciardo managed to beat Norris’s time, thus taking a point from his former McLaren teammate.
Verstappen’s Gratitude to Ricciardo
Verstappen received a message over the radio from Christian Horner about Daniel Ricciardo‘s heroic act. “Thank you, Daniel,” responded the three-time world champion happily. Formula 1 fans also appreciated the act of the man from Perth, as Ricciardo was named the Driver of the Day.
Honorary Lap
“We made a pit stop with a few laps to go to aim for the fastest race lap,” Ricciardo explains in front of the Canal+ cameras. “It was more of an honorary lap. There were many emotions (during the rest of the race) and of course it was very tiring.” The Australian also jokes that Verstappen should buy him a very nice Christmas gift, should the Dutchman eventually win the world title with a one-point difference over Norris.
Ricciardo’s fastest lap also means that from now on, Verstappen can finish second in every remaining Grand Prix and sprint race, behind Norris, and, regardless of the bonus points for the fastest laps, can still win the drivers’ championship.
