Lando Norris believes the Singapore Grand Prix will provide McLaren with an important answer over whether the straight-line speed problem that hurt the MCL40 in Baku and Sepang has finally been resolved. After two difficult weekends, the reigning world champion arrives at Marina Bay hopeful that the team’s work has addressed the issue, although he insists only running on track will provide a definitive verdict.
The problem was particularly noticeable on Norris’ car and cost him performance in qualifying across the last two rounds. Singapore now gives McLaren an opportunity to understand how much of its recent loss of competitiveness was circuit-specific and how much reflects a broader weakness in the MCL40.
Lando Norris hopes McLaren has solved straight-line speed problem
The problem first became apparent in Azerbaijan, where Lando Norris’ MCL40 suffered a straight-line speed deficit compared with Oscar Piastri’s car. The same difficulty returned in Malaysia, where the British driver qualified sixth, more than six tenths away from pole position.
“I’m confident. The team has done a good job, it has spent a lot of time trying to understand what was happening and hopefully this weekend can be better,” Lando Norris said.
“But honestly, I first need to get out on track and see what it’s like. We weren’t particularly quick in Baku, so I wouldn’t say it was only something related to Malaysia.”
Norris believes the characteristics of the Sepang surface may have made the situation worse, with the roughness of the asphalt potentially contributing to McLaren’s difficulties.
“There are certainly some aspects of Malaysia, such as the roughness of the asphalt, which we think played a part. It will be positive for us to see this weekend whether we can recover some of the performance that we were missing there.”
Singapore will reveal more about McLaren’s MCL40 problems
Marina Bay therefore represents an important test for establishing whether McLaren’s recent problems have been caused mainly by the characteristics of Baku and Sepang or instead indicate a more general loss of competitiveness.
Lando Norris acknowledged that McLaren is still attempting to return to the level it showed at earlier races, identifying Budapest, Zandvoort and Madrid as benchmarks for the car’s competitiveness.
“We’re still below the level we need to be at and want to be at. We need to do a better job regardless.”
Singapore is nevertheless a circuit Norris approaches with confidence. He has already achieved strong results at Marina Bay and particularly enjoys the characteristics of the demanding street layout.
“It’s simply a fun place to come to. From a driving-style point of view, there are certain things you feel very comfortable with and that you can quickly get into a rhythm with,” he explained.
The large number of corners, frequent changes of direction, uneven surface and constant need to adapt driving style make Singapore an interesting test for an MCL40 that needs to demonstrate how its latest package behaves in conditions very different from those encountered at recent races.
Straight-line deficit has cost Norris grid positions
Returning to the top-speed problem, Lando Norris admitted how frustrating it has been to produce a strong corner exit only to find himself losing speed relative to rivals by the end of the straight.
The limitation has had a direct effect in qualifying, costing the McLaren driver several grid positions across the previous two weekends.
“It has been frustrating spending two weekends trying to understand what the problem was and why there was this constant lack of straight-line speed,” Norris said.
“In this type of battle, over the last two weekends it has been two or three positions, so it has cost me quite a lot.”
The problem should theoretically be less damaging in Singapore because Marina Bay features considerably shorter straights than Baku or Sepang. Yet that also makes the weekend particularly useful as a diagnostic exercise.
If McLaren can return to a stronger competitive level while still showing that the underlying straight-line weakness has genuinely improved, it would provide an important indication that progress has been made.
Norris did not, however, attribute every recent difficulty to the car.
“At the same time, there are obviously things I can do better as well,” he admitted, keeping the emphasis on the collective work required from both driver and team.
Norris sees Singapore Sprint as chance to make a difference
Singapore will also host the final Sprint weekend of the season, a format Norris believes could suit one of his strengths: finding the limit of the car quickly.
With only one practice session before Sprint Qualifying, drivers will have very little time to build confidence around Marina Bay.
“You don’t have much time to get into the rhythm and one of my strengths is finding the limits with little time available,” Norris explained.
“It’s a bigger challenge to understand everything in one session. I like that and I think I can make the difference.”
The compressed format increases the importance of immediate adaptation, particularly on a street circuit where the margins are small and mistakes are heavily punished. The 2026 Singapore Grand Prix Sprint schedule leaves teams with only one practice session before competitive running begins.
For McLaren, Singapore will therefore provide much more than another opportunity to score points. After two frustrating weekends, it should offer the clearest indication yet of whether the MCL40’s recent problems have been understood and whether Lando Norris can return to the level of competitiveness the team displayed earlier in the season.
The broader championship picture can be followed in the Formula 1 driver standings, but McLaren’s immediate priority is simpler: rediscover its earlier performance and establish whether its most frustrating recent weakness has finally been addressed.
Leave a Reply