Lando Norris triumphs at Singapore Grand Prix, closing gap on Verstappen

Stay up to date with all the latest happenings in the world of Formula 1! Join us by signing up for the Prime Tire newsletter, delivered straight to your inbox every Monday and Friday.

Exciting news from the Singapore Grand Prix as Lando Norris secures his third victory of the Formula One season, finishing a staggering 20 seconds ahead of Max Verstappen.

This win reduces the gap in the driver’s championship to just 52 points, with Verstappen maintaining the lead.

Norris dominated from the start, leading by the end of Lap 1 and steadily building a significant lead over Verstappen, eventually reaching over 11.5 seconds by Lap 17. While the leaders impressed, chaos ensued at Turn 1 as several cars went off track. Franco Colapinto made a bold move to break into the top 10, a position he maintained until his pit stop on Lap 30. Sergio Pérez found it challenging to overtake him during this period.

Verstappen acknowledged Colapinto’s skill over the radio on Lap 16, saying, “He’s very good, difficult to pass, Colapinto.”

The early stages of the Singapore Grand Prix showcased the strength of the undercut strategy, where pitting early to gain an advantage over those ahead is crucial. Lewis Hamilton was among the first frontrunners to pit, swapping his soft tires for hard ones on Lap 19. However, he expressed concerns over the radio about tire performance, already struggling with the hard compound by lap 23. Typically, the Singapore GP is a one-stop race unless there are safety car periods.

Despite Norris’ commanding lead, he encountered front wing damage around Lap 30, causing him to slow down. McLaren opted not to replace the wing, making minor adjustments and switching to hard tires instead of mediums. Norris was reassured over the radio that it was a minor issue.

Oscar Piastri gained attention in the middle phase of the race, making strategic moves as George Russell pitted on Lap 29. Piastri closed in on Verstappen, overtaking him as the Dutchman pitted. However, Piastri soon faced tire degradation issues, prompting a pit stop for hard tires on Lap 39. Despite the late stop, McLaren’s bold strategy paid off as Piastri chased down Russell for a podium position, executing a skillful overtake at Turn 4 on Lap 45.

The race settled into a rhythm with Norris facing a brief scare after brushing the wall, reminiscent of Russell’s crash from the previous year. Nonetheless, he responded with a blistering fastest lap, nearly two seconds faster than Verstappen’s previous lap. Meanwhile, Pérez struggled with traction issues, likening his car to bouncing like a kangaroo.

Colapinto applied pressure to Pérez but couldn’t make a breakthrough, finishing outside the points as the race progressed.

In a thrilling twist towards the end, Daniel Ricciardo opted for a third pit stop, opting for a set of soft tires. Claiming the fastest lap, Ricciardo denied Norris a potential grand slam victory.

Here’s how the top 10 concluded: