Lando Norris wins Singapore GP to narrow F1 title race with Max Verstappen

McLaren’s Norris completed his third career win to cut into Red Bull driver Verstappen’s lead on top of the F1 table.

Formula One title contender Lando Norris led from pole to chequered flag to win the Singapore Grand Prix, narrowing the gap to championship leader Max Verstappen, who was second.

It was the McLaren driver’s third career GP win and his first from pole at his sixth attempt.

His McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri finished third to extend their lead over Red Bull in the constructors’ championship.

It was a remarkably incident-free run around the Marina Bay Street Circuit on Sunday, the first in its 15-race history not to see a safety car deployed.

At the end of the 62 uninterrupted laps, Norris had reduced Verstappen’s title lead to 52 points with six races and three sprints to go.

DRIVER STANDINGS (after 18/24 rounds)

The gap between the top two narrows to 52 points 👀#F1 #SingaporeGP pic.twitter.com/MfpZSQcUmE

— Formula 1 (@F1) September 22, 2024

Piastri’s third place, coupled with Sergio Perez only managing 10th in the second Red Bull, meant McLaren’s lead in the constructors’ championship was raised to 41 points.

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.

Hamilton from third was the only frontrunner to start on soft tyres, but he paid a penalty for it after 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.

LANDO NORRIS WINS IN SINGAPORE!!! 🏆

What a drive from @LandoNorris, bringing home his THIRD race win! 👏#SingaporeGP 🇸🇬 pic.twitter.com/cRmjrwLyHP

— McLaren (@McLarenF1) September 22, 2024

Despite a few late brushes with the unforgiving Singapore street circuit walls, the Englishman 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.

“I could push, we were flying the whole race. Still tough, I’m a bit out of breath, but a good 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 that never came.

“My race was just by myself, do the best I could, manage my own race,” said the three-time world champion.

“On a weekend we knew we were going to struggle, P2 is a good achievement. But now we need to improve, and that’s what we’ll 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.