FIA explains decision to scrap fastest lap bonus point, appears to target Red Bull strategy – The FIA has finally provided an explanation for its decision to scrap the fastest lap bonus point in Formula One races, a rule change announced for 2024 and due to come into effect for the 2025 season.

The governing body cited concerns about fairness and the potential for manipulation as the main reasons for the decision. While the statement remains neutral, many in the paddock see it as a direct response to Red Bull Racing’s strategic use of sister team Racing Bulls (formerly AlphaTauri) to influence championship battles.

The controversy culminated in the 2024 Singapore Grand Prix, when Racing Bulls’ Daniel Ricciardo was able to deny McLaren’s Lando Norris a crucial point – one that could have made the difference in the title battle with Max Verstappen. Now, as Formula One prepares for the 2025 season, the rule change ensures that no team can repeat a similar manoeuvre.

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The fastest lap bonus point: A rule that divided opinion

The concept of awarding a bonus point for the fastest lap was reintroduced in 2019, adding an extra layer of excitement to the races. However, the rule came with a caveat: only drivers who finished in the top ten were eligible to claim the point. It meant that while setting the fastest lap outside the top ten wouldn’t earn that driver a point, it could still deprive another contender of an extra championship point.

For teams and drivers locked in tight title fights, this small detail became a potential game-changer. In some cases, it encouraged drivers to push harder late in the race, either by playing with tyre strategy or making a late pit stop for fresh rubber to secure the fastest lap. While this added an element of unpredictability, it also opened the door to strategic interference – something that Red Bull and its sister team took full advantage of.

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How Ricciardo’s move in Singapore fuelled the debate

One of the clearest examples of this strategic use of the rule came during the 2024 Singapore Grand Prix. Lando Norris won the race, with Max Verstappen finishing second. Without the interference, Norris would have received an extra fastest lap point, which would have strengthened his position in the championship battle.

However, Daniel Ricciardo, driving for Red Bull’s sister team Racing Bulls, pitted late in the race for fresh tyres and set the fastest lap. By finishing outside the top ten, he failed to score the point – but successfully prevented Norris from claiming it. The move immediately raised eyebrows in the paddock, with McLaren team boss Zak Brown expressing concern at what he saw as an unfair advantage.

While Red Bull and Racing Bull dismissed the accusations, saying Ricciardo had every right to chase the fastest lap, many saw the move as blatant team play to benefit Verstappen. The FIA’s latest explanation for scrapping the bonus point rule suggests that incidents such as this contributed to the decision.

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FIA: “A controversial issue”

Formula One’s official website acknowledged the controversy surrounding the fastest lap point in its explanation of the rule change.

“Since 2019, a driver in the top ten could receive a bonus point if they had the fastest lap. This meant that drivers would sometimes push hard late in the race, or even pit for fresh rubber, to increase their chances of securing the fastest lap,” the statement read.

“But it also gave a car outside the top ten the opportunity to pit and take another driver’s point, even if they couldn’t score it themselves. As this was a controversial issue, it was decided that it would be removed from the points system for 2025. The rest of the points system remains unchanged, including the sprint races”.

This statement indirectly acknowledges the strategic concerns raised by teams such as McLaren. While the FIA did not explicitly mention the Red Bulls or Racing Bulls, the timing of the change and the reference to cars outside the top ten taking away points makes it clear that the Singapore incident played a role in the decision.

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McLaren’s frustration and the question of fairness

McLaren, already suspicious of Red Bull’s close relationship with the Racing Bulls, reacted strongly to the situation in Singapore. Zak Brown had repeatedly questioned whether the two teams were working too closely together, effectively operating as one unit. He argued that Ricciardo’s sacrifice in Singapore was evidence of how the system could be exploited to benefit Red Bull’s championship ambitions.

The debate over whether Red Bull and the Racing Bulls were stretching the spirit of competition beyond what was fair had been simmering throughout the 2024 season. Brown and McLaren pointed to Singapore as a prime example of why the FIA needed to act. With the rule now scrapped, it seems their concerns have been heard.

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Was the rule ever necessary?

Even before the Singapore controversy, some within the sport had questioned whether the fastest lap bonus point added any real value. On certain circuits, particularly street circuits like Singapore, the risk of an extra pit stop for the fastest lap often outweighed the potential reward. In other races, the battle for the fastest lap became an afterthought, pursued only by drivers with nothing to lose.

The fastest lap point played a major role in the dramatic 2021 season, which saw one of the closest title battles in history between Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen. However, the FIA’s recent decision suggests that the governing body no longer sees it as a necessary feature of the sport.

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Looking ahead to 2025

With the elimination of the fastest lap bonus point, the FIA is looking to prevent teams from using secondary strategies to manipulate championship results. While the main points system remains unchanged, the move removes a loophole that has been exploited in recent seasons.

For Red Bull, it means they can no longer count on their sister team to influence the title race in such a subtle but effective way. Meanwhile, for McLaren and other rival teams, it represents a small victory in the ongoing battle for regulatory fairness.

While fans may miss the added excitement of late-race battles for the fastest laps, the FIA’s decision reinforces the idea that championship battles should be decided on merit alone, rather than through clever inter-team manoeuvring. Whether this change will result in a fairer playing field remains to be seen, but one thing is certain – without the strategic drama of the fastest lap bonus point, Formula One will look very different in 2025.

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