Norris dominates Singapore GP

AFP | Singapore

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Lando Norris led from pole to chequered flag yesterday to take a dominant Singapore Grand Prix win and narrow the gap to Formula One championship leader Max Verstappen, who was second, to 52 points. It was the McLaren driver’s third career GP win and his first from pole position at his sixth attempt as he finished almost 30 seconds clear of his rival’s Red Bull.

Teammate Oscar Piastri was third to extend McLaren’s lead over Red Bull in the constructors’ championship to 41 points with six races and three sprints to go.

It was a uniquely incident-free 62 laps around the Marina Bay Street Circuit under lights, the first in its 15-race history not to see a safety car deployed. Norris got away brilliantly from pole and was clear of Verstappen into the first bend as Lewis Hamilton, on softer tyres, tried to put pressure on the Dutchman. But the three-time world champion repelled the Englishman and all the cars completed the opening lap safely.

Norris soon opened up a gap of more than a second over Verstappen, importantly keeping the Englishman out of DRS range. Hamilton from third was the only front-runner to start on soft tyres and he paid a penalty for not managing to get past Verstappen when he had to pit early on lap 18.

The aim was clearly to go all the way to the end but after just five laps on the new rubber he complained on team radio: “I’m already struggling with this tyre.” Norris was in a league of his own up front as he stretched his lead over Verstappen to 20 seconds by lap 26. ‘Close calls’ Despite a few late brushes with the unforgiving Singapore street circuit walls, the English- man secured a dominant victory.

“It was an amazing race,” said Norris. “A few too many close calls, I had a couple of close moments in the middle but it was well managed I think.

“The car was mega. I could push, we were flying the whole race, and at the end could just chill. So it was a nice race, still tough, I’m a bit out of breath, but a fun one.” Piastri started from fifth but a superior strategy enabled him to overhaul Hamilton and the second Mercedes of George Russell in the late stages. “It was a good race, a good recovery from qualifying -- it wasn’t my best afternoon yesterday,” said Piastri.

“Big thank you to the team as clearly the car was exceptional this weekend, and some great points.” Verstappen’s only chance looked like a safety car or red flag that never came, which left him ploughing a lonely furrow for much of the race, half a minute behind Norris and comfortably clear of the battle for third behind him.

“I was by myself. I tried to do the best I could and manage my own pace to the end,” said Verstappen, who has never won in eight starts in Singapore where Red Bull always seem to struggle. “The first stint was a bit difficult for us, quite a bit of tyre degradation,” said the 26-yearold, who matched his previous best of second, way back in 2018. “On a weekend we knew we were going to struggle, P2 is a good achievement.

Of course we are not happy with second. Now we need to improve more and more and that’s what we will try to do.” Hamilton, on much older tyres than the field, was a sitting duck towards the end and lost another place on lap 50 to the Ferrari of Charles Leclerc, who had begun from ninth on the grid. Leclerc finished ahead of Hamilton, with the second Ferrari of Carlos Sainz in seventh. Fernando Alonso, Nico Hulkenberg and Perez rounded out the top 10. Norris had the point for fastest lap snatched away from him at the end by the RB of Daniel Ricciardo in what is likely to be his last race in F1.

The Australian is rumoured to be leaving the Red Bull junior outfit after this race, but still played a part for his old teammate Verstappen. “I have to be prepared for this maybe being it,” admitted the Australian, who has won eight GPs in a 13-year career. “Let’s say I’m at peace with it.”