1 day ago
5
Lando Norris bushed rubric rival Max Verstappen to rod presumption successful a melodramatic qualifying league astatine the Singapore Grand Prix.
Norris was 0.203 seconds quicker than Verstappen, with the Mercedes of Lewis Hamilton and George Russell successful 3rd and 4th places.
Their times came successful a one-lap shootout aft Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz forced the league to beryllium stopped with a clang aboriginal connected astatine the commencement of his archetypal flying lap.
Norris heads into Sunday’s contention looking to devour into Verstappen’s 59-point title lead.
But Verstappen volition beryllium pleased with a beardown show connected a way wherever Red Bull struggled past play and were expecting to bash truthful again successful 2024.
Norris needs to adjacent connected Verstappen by conscionable implicit 8 points a contention connected mean to bushed the Dutchman to the title - much than the spread betwixt archetypal and 2nd places.
Norris’ team-mate Oscar Piastri, victor of the Azerbaijan Grand Prix past weekend, could negociate lone fifth.
And it was a mediocre league for Ferrari, for whom Sainz won successful Singapore past year.
In summation to the Spaniard’s crash, team-mate Charles Leclerc had his thigh clip deleted for exceeding way limits and volition commencement ninth.
Leclerc had successful immoderate lawsuit lone managed to acceptable seventh fastest time, slower than the Haas of Nico Hulkenberg, who took an awesome sixth spot up of Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso and RB’s Yuki Tsunoda.
Norris said: "I was uncovering it pugnacious to advancement overmuch and the guys astir were getting quicker and quicker putting maine nether pressure. But it was bully capable for pole. I felt assured each weekend. Maybe not truthful overmuch successful qualifying, but we got the occupation done."
Verstappen, who had been unhappy with his car successful Friday practice, said: "The full of qualifying went rather well. We managed to amended the car.
"I americium blessed to beryllium connected the beforehand enactment if you look astatine wherever we came from yesterday. Everyone lone has 1 thigh truthful you don’t privation to overdo it. I instrumentality second, I’m blessed with that."
Hamilton’s 3rd spot is his champion qualifying since helium was 2nd connected the grid astatine the British Grand Prix.
He said: "Qualifying has been a catastrophe for maine each twelvemonth agelong and I person conscionable been moving and moving and moving trying to get myself backmost up determination and each of a abrupt the car came to maine for the archetypal clip successful a agelong clip successful qualifying.
"We person been moving up and down connected balance. We person changed everything and the mechanics person been faultless and I anticipation we are successful a bully presumption to combat for the beforehand tomorrow."
More to follow
English (US)