The top-10 shootout for the 2024 Singapore GP was a nail-biting experience for the teams. The teams were only left with a single-lap shootout to decide who took pole for the Grand Prix. McLaren team principal Andrea Stella revealed that he only breathed a sigh of relief when Lando Norris secured pole.
Other than Oscar Piastri, no driver was able to set a lap time on their first runs, owing to Carlos Sainz’s turn 19 shunt. The Spaniard’s accident meant that the Red Flag was called with only eight minutes remaining on the clock.
Moreover, an interrupted first run meant that the teams only had one set of fresh soft tires at their disposal, leaving them with a single flying effort. Norris went on to bag pole from second-placed Max Verstappen by a healthy margin of two tenths. However, his lap was a scruffy effort and the Briton was not pleased.
Stella explained, “It was stressful for everyone. It wasn’t one of the cleanest laps for Lando. He came on the radio and said, ‘oh I made some mistakes’ and normally when he says that, he’s quick.”
⚠️ | McLaren Team Boss Andrea Stella says Lando Norris was unhappy with his pole position qualifying lap:
“It was stressful for everyone, it wasn’t one of the cleanest laps for Lando”
“He came on the radio and said ‘oh I made some mistakes’ and normally when he says that,… pic.twitter.com/SHUU5moey5
— Fastest Pitstop (@FastestPitStop) September 21, 2024
Despite the mistakes, Stella believes that Norris deserved to be on pole. The Italian engineer explained that the #4 driver was consistently quick during all the sessions leading up to his final Q3 lap.
Norris needs to fend off Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton to win in Singapore
Norris is eying his third Grand Prix win and an opportunity to make major inroads in Verstappen’s championship lead at the Marina Bay Street Circuit. However, with the Dutchman starting alongside him, it is going to be a tricky affair for the Briton.
Verstappen still holds a healthy 59-point lead going into the race. And their battles in the past have shown that neither driver is willing to give the other an inch on track. With a championship now on the line, Norris will have to prepare himself for a fierce fight from the #1 driver.
️”They’re having a less difficult time than we had at the beginning of the year.”
Lando Norris insists he’s still the driver with “nothing to lose” in his #F1 title fight with Max Verstappen. Can the McLaren man chip away at his deficit in Singapore? ⬇️https://t.co/kDRaGv6jRJ
— Autosport (@autosport) September 20, 2024
The Red Bull driver isn’t the only one who will be looking to spoil Norris’ evening. Hamilton starts the race from P3. After a sensational streak of two wins just before the Summer Break, the seven-time world champion has failed to finish on the podium since Zandvoort.
Hamilton’s record on the Marina Bay Circuit is very strong though and he will hope to match Sebastian Vettel’s outright record of the most wins (5) in Singapore at Norris’ expense.
