Guenther Steiner urges F1 to BAN Red Bull from owning two teams after Daniel Ricciardo’s fastest lap saga
Gunther Steiner believes that VCARB's performance helps Red Bull, which is leading to perceptions of unfair favoritism in Formula 1.
Gunther Steiner Christian Horner (images via IMAGO)
Red Bull Racing owns two Formula 1 teams, Red Bull and VCARB (AlphaTauri). At the recent Singapore GP, Daniel Ricciardo, driving for VCARB, recorded the fastest lap, benefitting Red Bull’s Max Verstappen. Former Haas team principal Gunther Steiner has called on the FIA to ban the Austrian outfit, citing concerns over unfair competition due to this synergy.
Gunther Steiner expressed concerns about the fairness of Red Bull’s ownership of two teams. He pointed out that Daniel Ricciardo recorded the fastest lap at the Singapore GP which could’ve sparked suspicions about potential team orders between the two teams. Steiner argued that one owner controlling two F1 teams creates doubt and mistrust, raising concerns about favoritism.
This fastest lap, it was a little bit weird when it came you know, I think that the issue there is that in a sport like Formula 1, no owner should have two teams. You never get away from the suspicion that there are team orders between teams, not in one team, between teams.
Gunther Steiner said on the Red Flags Podcast
Steiner suggested that Formula 1 has evolved significantly indicating that the FIA should ban an organization from owning two teams. He acknowledged that Red Bull’s acquisition of Minardi was vital for both the teams and Formula 1 during challenging times. However, Steiner emphasized that new regulations are necessary to ensure fairness in racing, arguing that multiple ownership could be the strategy to benefit one team.
F1 has developed a lot since them days, and for the future, maybe there needs to be a fix to this one that nobody can own two teams.
Gunther Steiner stated.
Gunther Steiner feels ‘nobody would’ve suspected’ Daniel Ricciardo if it wasn’t owned by Red Bull
Steiner stated that there needs to be careful consideration about how to prevent suspicions in the future regarding team ownership. He explained that if VCARB was not owned by Red Bull, no one would have questioned Ricciardo’s fastest lap. People would have simply celebrated it as a great achievement for him, as it was the Australian’s last race.
If Visa Cash App [RB] wasn’t owned by the same owner as Red Bull, nobody would have had the suspicion. Everybody would have said it’s the last hooray from Daniel Ricciardo.
Gunther Steiner stated.
Max Verstappen thanked his former teammate for his assistance during the Marina Bay race. However, this situation raised concerns for Steiner, who fears that such dynamics could be viewed as unfair favoritism in Formula 1. With six races remaining in the season, Red Bull is still 41 points behind McLaren in the championship standings.
Gaurang Kadam
(352 Articles Published)