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Wednesday 25 September 2024 06:09, UK
Nico Rosberg says he was "baffled" by the mistakes Lando Norris made while holding a big lead on his way to winning the Singapore Grand Prix.
Norris produced stunning pace on his first stint to open up a 25-second gap over title rival Max Verstappen, but the McLaren driver clipped one of the street circuit's barriers just before making his first stop and was fortunate to avoid major damage.
On his second and final stint in the sweltering conditions at The Marina Bay Circuit, Norris was once more fortunate to avoid disaster as he bumped another barrier with his right rear tyre.
The Brit also ran wide while attempting to lap a back-marker in the closing stages, before eventually taking victory by more than 20 seconds.
Speaking on the latest episode of the Sky Sports F1 Podcast, 2016 world champion Rosberg said: "It kind of baffled me a little bit what was going on there because he hit the wall twice.
"Both were like really severe, almost race ending moments where he was quite lucky not to be DNF (did not finish).
"He went miles off the track in a hairpin, out-braking, but really not a small out-braking, like a massive out-braking.
"And the other time he hit the same wall that George Russell hit last year where he went crashing out on the last lap of the race.
"And what you maybe don't remember is he went off the track again when he was passing a back-marker, which was a Williams.
"So, there's three moments here. And that's so strange."
Norris' victory reduced Verstappen's Drivers' Championship lead to 52 points with six rounds of the season remaining, boosting hopes the Brit can deny the Red Bull driver a fourth successive title.
McLaren, who extended their Constructors' Championship advantage over Red Bull to 41 points, have had a clear pace advantage over the reigning champions in recent months, but there have been several occasions where Norris has failed to maximise the car's point-scoring potential.
Rosberg added: "I can't remember myself or a Max Verstappen or Lewis (Hamilton), when leading so comfortably with 30 seconds, making three major mistakes like that. That was a bit strange.
"I know Singapore is so hard, concentration, physically, it's so, so tough, but I don't know what it's down to that there's so many little (errors).
"But we know that Lando tends to make those little errors all the time everywhere.
"We've seen that from him and he needs to iron that out if he wants to fight for the championship this year."
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