Lando Norris experienced a disappointing Friday at the Formula 1 Singapore Grand Prix, which ended in the worst possible way after a pit lane collision with Charles Leclerc’s Ferrari. The British driver, currently in the thick of the championship fight, failed to shine during the opening two practice sessions, finishing sixth in FP1 and fifth in FP2. It was a challenging day that Norris himself described bluntly as “a bad day.”
To make matters worse, the contact with Leclerc in the final minutes of FP2 damaged the front wing of his McLaren. Although Norris chose not to comment on the episode, his frustration was evident — especially considering that just a year ago, he had dominated at Marina Bay after starting from pole position.
Norris struggles in Singapore: half a second slower than Piastri
“It’s been a difficult day for me, I don’t feel comfortable with the car,” Norris told Sky Sports. “I’m losing all the positive feelings I had here twelve months ago. There are many things we need to work on, but today was simply a bad day.”
The Briton’s frustration grew when he realized he was almost half a second slower than his teammate Oscar Piastri, who topped FP2. “My car can’t be half a second slower — it’s my driving that’s half a second worse,” he said over the radio to his race engineer Will Joseph. Later, speaking to the media, he admitted: “Oscar was quick, so there’s nothing more to say other than I didn’t do a good job.”
The mood was completely different on the other side of the McLaren garage. Championship leader Oscar Piastri, who holds a 25-point advantage over Norris, finished fifth in FP1 before dominating FP2 under the lights — in conditions that closely resemble those of the race. “I felt good on the medium tyres, and the softs worked straight away,” Oscar Piastri explained. “We didn’t do many long runs, but the car is in a good place. I learned a lot today, and that was the main goal for free practice. It’s been a positive day.”
With seven races still to go, the intra-team battle at McLaren is becoming increasingly intense. On one hand, Lando Norris is searching for the rhythm that made him so competitive in 2024; on the other, Oscar Piastri continues to show remarkable consistency and confidence, strengthening his position at the top of the championship standings.
Leave a Reply