Lando Norris dominated the Singapore Grand Prix from pole position; the Briton finished 20 seconds clear of world championship leader Max Verstappen to reduce title battle deficit to 52 points; Oscar Piastri took third as McLaren increased Constructors' Championship lead over Red Bull
Monday 23 September 2024 06:15, UK
Lando Norris maintained his world championship charge with a dominant victory for McLaren at the Singapore Grand Prix.
The Briton exhibited stunning pace in a lights-to-flag victory under the lights of the street circuit, but Drivers' Championship leader Max Verstappen was able to limit his rival's inroads by taking second for Red Bull.
Norris, who finished 20 seconds clear of Verstappen, moves to within 52 points of the Dutchman at the top of the standings with six rounds of the season remaining.
Oscar Piastri provided further evidence of McLaren's pace by passing Mercedes duo George Russell and Lewis Hamilton to go from fifth on the grid to third at the chequered flag, extending the team's Constructors' Championship advantage over Red Bull to 41 points.
Russell held off Charles Leclerc for fourth, while a frustrated Hamilton was sixth ahead of the other Ferrari of Carlos Sainz after the seven-time world champion's gamble to start on soft tyres from third on the grid did not pay off.
Norris had failed to hold the lead at the end of the first lap in all five of his previous grand prix starts from pole, but on this occasion made a superb getaway to pull comfortably clear on the approach to the first corner.
He then opened a gap of 25 seconds to Verstappen before the first and only round of pit stops, displaying a pace advantage that will heighten belief he can pull off a remarkable comeback to deny the Dutchman a fourth successive drivers' title.
The only moments of jeopardy for Norris were self-inflicted, as he locked up and clipped the barrier on lap 29 shortly before his pit stop to cause minor front-wing damage, before once more bumping a barrier with his right rear tyre on lap 45.
"It was an amazing race," Norris said. "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 could just chill. So it was a nice race, still tough, I'm a bit out of breath, but a fun one."
Norris was on course to gain a further point for the fastest lap of the race before being denied by Daniel Ricciardo, who finished last on track in 18th and was therefore not eligible to claim the point himself, but stopped for a new set of tyres to better his former team-mate's effort on his penultimate circuit.
Ricciardo, who drives for Red Bull's junior squad RB, is expected to lose his seat to Liam Lawson ahead of the United States Grand Prix next month.
After winning seven of the opening 10 races of the season, Verstappen has now gone eight races without victory, but ultimately appeared satisfied with limiting the damage at a circuit that does not suit the RB20.
"On a weekend we knew we were going to struggle, P2 is a good achievement," Verstappen said.
"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."
While overtaking has always been a challenge on the narrow streets of The Marina Bay Circuit, previous editions of the race have tended to throw up plenty of drama, with all 14 of them having had at least one Safety Car interruption.
The lack of that on Sunday, along with the dominant nature of Norris' performance, meant the action generally failed to match the stunning views the track offers.
After fending off Hamilton at the first corner, Verstappen drove a race as lonely as Norris' out front, with the cars behind never posing a realistic threat to his second place.
Hamilton struggled for pace on his soft tyres during the first stint and was the first of the leaders to pit, but it quickly became apparent the strategy was not working for him.
Russell came out ahead of Hamilton when he stopped 10 laps later, but both Mercedes drivers were powerless to resist the pace of Piastri when the Australian emerged just behind them on fresh tyres having completed a mighty 38-lap opening stint.
Leclerc, who had started ninth after a disastrous qualifying for Ferrari, also made the most of a lengthy opening stint to fight back through the field in the closing stages.
He eased past, Fernando Alonso, his team-mate Sainz and Hamilton, but could not quite edge Russell for fourth, with the Brit clinging on in the final laps.
Further back, Verstappen's Red Bull team-mate Sergio Perez was unable to make major progress from 13th on the grid, ultimately being left to settle for the final point in 10th.
Ahead of him, Alonso took eighth for Aston Martin and Nico Hulkenberg ninth for Haas, who moved to within three points of sixth-placed RB in the constructors' standings.
Williams' Alex Albon retired early in the race due to a suspected power unit issue, while Haas' Kevin Magnussen was the only other non-finisher after damaging his car after running into the barriers.
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