Singapore Grand Prix: Norris on another planet, Verstappen limits damage
F1 NewsSunday, 22 September 2024 at 20:10
Lando Norris powered his mighty McLaren to a dominant victory in the 2024 Singapore Grand Prix, Round 18 of the 22-race FIA Formula 1 World Championship but title rival Max Verstappen limited the damage with P2 on Sunday.
Norris delivered the kind of commanding performance that began with a scorching pole-winning lap on Saturday at Marina Bay Street Circuit. On Sunday, he went one better, stealing the headline—Norris on Another Planet—that Verstappen once owned.
The pair finished P1 and P2, with Oscar Piastri taking the final podium spot on a good day for McLaren in the 2024 F1 Constructors' Championship.
His third F1 victory today was arguably Norris' finest; despite a few nail-biting moments, he won by a huge margin. Off the line, he was superb; thereafter, he was never challenged, at times well over a second faster than any of his rivals.
It was the kind of victory Verstappen used to enjoy last year. A huge margin, which also meant a good chunk of points over Verstappen. The World Championship leader simply did not have the car to match Norris in what was ultimately a 'race' between the pair, with only Oscar Piastri's fine drive to P3 in the same league of the top two.
But this weekend was all about Norris. Perhaps stung by his Baku showing, watching Piastri win would've hurt. The pain of that is now gone, as the Briton stamped his authority not only on today's Grand Prix but also at McLaren, where they are now obliged to throw everything at their driver's title tilt.
Norris: It was an amazing race
Norris, who at one stage was nearly half a minute in the lead, reported in Parc Ferme: "It was an amazing race. A few too many close calls—I had a couple of little moments in the middle—but it was well controlled, I think, otherwise.
"The car was mega. I could push; we were flying the whole race, and at the end I could just chill. So it was a nice race, still tough; I'm a bit out of breath, but a fun one," said Norris, who trails Verstappen in the 2024 F1 Drivers' Championship by 52 points.
Verstappen can be happy with P2 with a car that was nowhere a week ago. He limited the damage as only he could after a lonely race, ending 20 seconds behind Norris and 20 seconds ahead of Piastri, which is a result he would have signed up for after Friday's practice.
Verstappen summed up his GP: "I was by myself. I tried to do the best I could and manage my own pace to the end. The first stint was a bit difficult for us—quite a bit of tire degradation. The second stint was a bit better; I was a bit more comfortable."
Verstappen: Of course we are not happy with second
"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," added Verstappen.
Piastri would be worthy of Driver of the Day, turning P5 on the grid to P3. Clinically overtaking both Lewis Hamilton and George Russell in style. A better Qualy, and he might've done even better. Nevertheless, another high-end performance by the prodigious 23-year-old.
Piastri reported in Parc Ferme: "It was a good race and a good recovery from qualifying. Not my greatest afternoon yesterday, so to get back to the podium is a great result.
"We had a really quick car underneath us and a good strategy to get past the Mercedes. So a big thank you to the team; the car was clearly exceptional this weekend," added the triple F1 World Champion.
Mercedes will be disappointed with P4 and P6
Mercedes owned row two at the start, with Lewis Hamilton the only one in the top ten to bolt on Pirelli red-band soft tires for his first stint. All others were on Medium. That strategy did not play well for Hamilton, who saw P3 on the grid decline to P6 at the end of the day. Russell's strategy worked better, as P4 suggests.
Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz were always in damage control mode, knowing their cars were better than P9 and P10 on the grid. They were.
But it was a tough afternoon for the Reds, as Leclerc did all he could to beat the Mercs but ran out of laps and had to settle for P5, with Sainz p7 recovering from his qualifying shunt on Saturday.
Fernando Alonso slugged it out for eighth place, the Aston Martin driver getting the better of a race-long battle with Nico Hulkenberg in the Haas and Red Bull's Sergio Perez, who finished P9 and P10.
Ricciardo Driver of the Day for stealing a point for Red Bull
Daniel Ricciardo scored a point for a late fastest lap tilt in the VCARB, which earned him Driver of the Day despite finishing P18.
Out of the points were the usual suspects. Alex Albon suffered a DNF after an untidy start, near contact with rookie teammate Franco Colapinto, who had a gritty race to P11, battling hard with Perez, who remarked of the 21-year-old during the heat of their battle: "He's very good. Difficult to pass Colapinto."
Beyond that and in Nowhere Land, Lance Stroll was typically bad in the Aston Martin ending P14. Likewise, the Alpines and Saubers are sad.
Final word to McLaren team boss Andrea Stella who said after their victory: "Hopefully we will have a few more in the next six races. Fully deserved by Lando he has been very quick throughout the weekend. Everything came together, it's not going to be easy over the next races but it's very promising.
"It's also promising that Oscar found a way to beat the two Mercedes' to get on the podium. The mission is still on for the drivers' championship," insisted Stella, whose team extended their lead in the F1 Constructors' standings by 41 points, with six race weekends remaining
2024 Singapore Grand Prix Result
How the 2024 Singapore Grand Prix Unfolded
Top 13, all on Pirelli yellow band Mediums, only Hamilton on Softs. The back half of the grid has Ricciardo the only other driver on Softs, with Magnussen, Stroll, Bottas and Zhou on Hards.
It was a hot night! Air temperature is 30.7C and track temp at 37.9C with a slight wind from the south end of Marina Bay.
Start. Good start from the top three rows, who remain in their positions. Tsunoda and Sainz biggest losers. Top seven unchanged. Piastri loses a place but recovers before the opening lap.
Lap 1. Top 10:
Lap 2: Norris Verstappen leads by 1.1 seconds.Top 10 within 10 seconds.
Lap 3: Norris sets fastest lap edging the gap in front over Verstappen. Perez from P13 to P10 behind Colapinto in P9. Biggest loser, down four places in P15 is Albon accusing his rookie teammate: "He divebombed me!"
Lap 6: Verstappen responds with the fastest lap, pegs gap to Norris to between 1.5s and 2.0s, Hamilton nearly 5.0s behind them, with Russell getting anxious. Piastri in P5 is 9.0s adrift of his teammate in the lead.
Lap 7: Norris goes fastest in tit-for-tat duel with Verstappen at the front, the gap grows. The pair about half a second per lap faster than the chasing Mercedes duo. Hamilton 5.6s off the lead.
Lap 9: Norris told to up the pace to build gap to 5.0s. He goes over a second quicker than Verstappen.
Lap 10. Top 10:
Lap 11: Perez harasses Colapinto who has very little grip. Ricciardo boxes and switches to Mediums, emerging last. Alonso within DRS of Hulkenberg in battle for P6.
P12. Albon in for Hards.
Lap 13. Norris sets the fastest lap at the front, the gap to Verstappen now 7.6s. Mercedes duo stuck at around 6.0s.
Lap 14: Sainz makes a slowish stop for Hard tyres.
Lap 16: Albon DNF with overheating a PU overheating issue.
Lap 18: Hamilton pits swaps Softs for Hards.
Lap 19: Norris a second per lap faster than everyone in the field, 13 seconds ahead of Verstappen.
Lap 20. Top 10:
Lap 21. Norris disappeared in the distance. 30.0s down on his teammate, Piastri stalking Russell, Hulkenberg stalked by Alonso who is chased by Leclerc.
Lap 26. Leclerc gets P6 from Alonso who boxes straight afterwards. Hamilton struggling on the Hards.
Lap 28. Norris at the front still setting fastest laps., leading Verstappen by 24.0s. Russell boxes for Hards, a very fast stop. Piastri told to get going in clear air. He is P3, 10 seconds behind Verstappen.
Lap 29: Big moment for Norris. Very close shave costs him half a dozen seconds. Perez boxes for Hards.
Lap 30. Top 10:
Lap 30. Verstappen pits from P2. Norris loses time, worried he has front wing damage. Not so, the McLaren pit wall informs him.
Lap 31: Norris pits for Hards and emerges in the lead with Piastri P2, 3.2s behind but yet to stop. Verstappen is P3, 21.0s down on the leader. Leclerc in P4 has yet to stop.
Lap 36: Leclerc and Russell battle for P5, the Ferrari yet to Piy for fresh rubber. Ditto Piastri in P2.
Lap 37. Leclerc stops. Emerges P8 ahead of Hulkenberg, who was undercut. Piastri in P2 and Gsaly P14 only two yet to pit stop.
Lap 39. Piastri dives into the pits for his first stop and fresh Pirellis, and emerges P5, 1.0s behind Hamilton on much older tyres.
Lap 40. Top 10:
Lap 40: Piastri dispatches Hamilton with ease. Russell next in P3 is 4.0s ahead of the McLaren.
Lap 41. Leclerc overtakes Alonso for P7.
Lap 42. After much moaning from Tsunoda, VCARB swapped him with Ricciardo for P12, the latter on much older tyres.
Lap 43. Leclerc sets the fastest lap and gets a wave past from teammate Sainz for P6. Piastri takes fastest lap from the Ferrari driver and gets into Russell's DRS and all over the back of the Mercedes.
Lap 45. Piastri gets past Russell with another clinical move to take P3. Verstappen is 18.0s up the road with Norris a further 24.0s in the lead.
Lap 47. Another big moment for Norris. He survives.
Lap 49. Norris sets fastest lap.
Lap 50. Top 10:
Lap 50: Leclerc gets by Hamilton with ease.
Lap 51. Magnussen with a puncture after clattering the wall. He is last. Hulkenberg is p9 being attacked by Perez, with Alonso in P8 just out of DRS reach of the pair.
Lap 57: Leclerc overtakes Hamilton, and starts chasing Russell to no avail.
Lap 62. Norris wins the 2024 Singapore Grand Prix!
Latest News
Loading
