Red Bull Racing and star driver Daniel Ricciardo have been accused of breaking Formula One rules by the McLaren team.
McLaren racing director Eric Boullier alleged Red Bull and Ricciardo used coded messages during Sunday podium finish at the Singapore Grand Prix, breaching new F1 rules which limit team and driver communication via radio.
Ricciardo was allegedly told during a pit stop to avoid exit kerbs to help navigate an electrical problem with his car, a direct violation of new pit-to-car rules which prevents drivers being relayed speed-saving information.
New FIA rules state, “No radio conversation from pit to driver may include any information that is related to the performance of the car or driver.”
Rivals are paying more attention to team radio than ever and Boullier has pointed the finger at Red Bull and its surging rookie for breaking the new regulation.
“I think it was coded, yes,” he said following Ricciardo’s third placed finish. “It is up to the FIA to investigate, so it is not for me to say anything.”
“But it was a strange message. Once would have been OK, but twice or three times is a bit strange.”
But Red Bull staff were simply passing on mechanical advice, still legal under the new FIA ruling, and double checked to ensure they were in the clear before doing so, according to team chief Christian Horner.
“We spoke to (race director Charlie Whiting) we told him we had some reliability issues,” Horner told media on Sunday.
“That’s why (Ricciardo) was told to keep off the kerbs, because that was causing damage to the battery. Which I think is sensible, it’s finding that balance with this radio stuff at the end of the day.”
Lewis Hamilton’s 13.5-second win in Singapore has propelled the Mercedes driver ahead of teammate Nico Rosberg (retired) to the top of the driver standings with a mere three-point lead.
Ricciardo trails Hamilton by 60 points with five races remaining in the 2014 season.
The 25-year-old was stripped of a podium finish in his debut F1 appearance in Melbourne this year for breaking F1 fuel usage limits.
Photo: Peter Fox/Getty Images
