Lando Norris: « It was great to lead the race from the start »
Despite having assumed the role of a victory candidate for a while, Lando Norris recognizes that McLaren is not yet completely at the level to beat the indomitable Max Verstappen.
From Singapore, the most impressive driver on the grid is, without a doubt, Lando Norris. For the fourth time in a row this season, the McLaren driver has tasted the champagne of the podium. This result is largely due to the early moments of his race which placed him in the best conditions.
2nd on the grid, Lando Norris sprung from his position to immediately draw level with Charles Leclerc and overtake him. At the top of the first turn, he stayed on the inside to shut the door on any overtaking attempt by Lewis Hamilton or Carlos Sainz. Leading the race entering the fast section, the McLaren driver quickly created a comfortable little cushion between himself and the single-seaters behind him. After 10 laps, he had a 3-second lead over his closest pursuer.
Feeling unconfident with the degradation of his tires, Lando Norris stopped to fit white-striped tires during his second stop while his rival of the day, Max Verstappen had fitted a second set of mediums. With faster tires, the Red Bull increasingly applied pressure to the McLaren. Seeing the RB19 get closer in his rearview mirrors, Norris made a first error on the 25th lap at the 11th turn by locking his tires. An error which made him lose a full second and allowed Verstappen to unlock his DRS before passing him on the 28th lap.
Defeated on the track by Lewis Hamilton with 10 laps remaining, despite a strong resistance from Norris, the latter eventually inherited the second position and not the third due to the disqualification of the seven-time world champion.
« It was great to lead the race from the start. I’m happy, it was a good weekend on my part. We knew that degradation was our weak point but in the first ten laps of each relay our pace was really good. We are slowly improving. We are making progress every weekend. We just need to take a few more steps. Finishing on the podium here is even better than what we had planned. »
If victory still seems a little bit far, this new podium finish for Lando Norris comes to garnish a record which continues to grow season after season. Once the Briton is at the wheel of a single-seater capable of setting off fireworks at the crossing of the line, his first victory would only be a formality. The McLaren driver has to settle for celebrating his 100th Grand Prix in F1, one more than Jackie Stewart, with a 12th career podium. This second position and the disqualification of Charles Leclerc due to his non-regulatory floor propels him to the 6th position in the drivers’ championship.
