'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,/9j/2wBDAAYEBQYFBAYGBQYHBwYIChAKCgkJChQODwwQFxQYGBcUFhYaHSUfGhsjHBYWICwgIyYnKSopGR8tMC0oMCUoKSj/2wBDAQcHBwoIChMKChMoGhYaKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCj/wgARCAAHAAoDASIAAhEBAxEB/8QAFgABAQEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAUH/8QAFQEBAQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAwT/2gAMAwEAAhADEAAAAMTmh1//xAAfEAABBAICAwAAAAAAAAAAAAACAQMEEgARBRMhMZH/2gAIAQEAAT8A4mU1EWdeGMxH4JNtW0NL+ENfnpMagM9QdkxsD0lhUCXS5//EABoRAAAHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAABAgMSISP/2gAIAQIBAT8AfyUcKH//xAAYEQADAQEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAABAgMRAP/aAAgBAwEBPwBNtMPQ73//2Q=='%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Lando Norris believes that his fifth-place qualifying result was down to both himself and the car not performing to his liking at the Marina Bay circuit. Speaking to the media, including Sportskeeda, after qualifying in Singapore, the Briton admitted that his chances of fighting for victory at the tricky street circuit had slipped away.
Norris has often voiced concerns about the car’s handling, particularly the lack of front-end response and persistent understeer. Around Marina Bay, he topped the Q2 session and looked on course to replicate last year’s dominant qualifying form. However, in Q3, he was unable to put together a clean lap with the same confidence and settled for fifth on the grid. His teammate, Oscar Piastri, secured a spot in the top three, while Max Verstappen lined up second.
Trending
Reflecting on his performance, Lando Norris admitted his session was underwhelming due to a mistake in the final chicane where he brushed the wall, losing time on his lap. He also cited the car’s balance issues as a key factor, suggesting that the top three had simply found another level of pace.
The McLaren driver highlighted how several competitors struggled with front-tire performance, while his own car’s front-end limitations made the challenge greater. He added that the newly resurfaced tarmac at Marina Bay did not suit their car’s characteristics, which may have played to Mercedes’ strengths, as evidenced by George Russell’s pole position.
Asked by Sportskeeda where he lost ground in qualifying, Lando Norris said:
“Just basically my driving. Just didn't put it all together. I mean, they're talking small margins and clearly as a team, we just, car's not in the right place. We're just not quick enough, especially to do 0.1 was out of our league at the minute. So just as we were out of some other leagues last year and at times this year, tables have turned. And I think also, everyone seems to be struggling a lot with the front tires this weekend. We know that's a weakness of our car. At times, it's also my worst nightmare is understeer.”
“So like we've seen in Vegas and things that whenever people struggle to get the front tires in, Mercedes normally rides to the top, like they've done this weekend. So I think when we put things together and we understand that Mercedes are very quick, which is not unusual. But they've not been this quick for a long time. We put it down to the track conditions and the new tarmac pieces are high grip, very under-steer, and we just couldn't get the front of the car to work this weekend. So we're still struggling, hopefully less of an issue tomorrow. Let’s see we were just not quick enough. And I just didn't do the best job.”
Lando Norris also pinpointed the medium tires as his go-to in Singapore.
Lando Norris describes the medium tires in Singapore as his comfort zone
Lando Norris believes the medium tires suited him better in Singapore compared to the soft compound, noting that his lap times dropped off as soon as he switched to the latter. The McLaren driver admitted that pushing to the limit around the demanding Marina Bay street circuit was far from easy. On the medium tires, however, he found the car more manageable and closer in balance to how it felt last year.
The Briton added that the car continued to struggle, with some of his long-standing issues persisting. A recurring challenge, he said, was the overall feeling and feedback from the car; a concern he had discussed with the media, including Sportskeeda, earlier this year at Silverstone.
Asked how far off he was from maximising the job, Lando Norris said:
“Yeah, I mean, I'm sure in Singapore every driver will say a little bit more. It's never easy to push it to the limit here. I had a small wall hit out of the last chicane. Did it cost me, whatever, 600ths or something to get two positions higher. Maybe.. But yeah, do I think there was a tenth in it for sure that if I could do it easily, or if I knew why, I would have probably would have done it. But no, I feel where there's more lap time out of it on the medium tires this weekend. I've always felt very comfortable, the mediums have often had more front end and it just suits me."
"I can get more lap-time time out of it. It feels more reminiscence of last year and the feelings I want from the car. I put the soft on and I struggle again. You know, still lingering, feelings of the car, just not performing. I can't say in the right way because we've been very quick all season. We also struggled here this weekend and those issues and the issues I've had this year, which is the front of the car seem to have arose again this weekend,” he added.
With the championship battle heating up, Lando Norris faces a tough challenge to secure his first title. In Singapore, his disappointment stems not only from teammate and title leader Oscar Piastri qualifying third ahead of him, but also from Max Verstappen lining up second on the front row. The four-time world champion has emerged as a serious contender in what had previously been a two-horse race. The Dutchman now sits just 44 points behind Lando Norris and 69 points adrift of Piastri. Norris, on the other hand, has accumulated 299 points, 25 fewer than his teammate.
