The zero points in Baku weighed less than expected for Oscar Piastri due to Lando Norris struggling to capitalize on the opportunity. With seven rounds still remaining in the 2025 season, Singapore could become one of the last key opportunities for Norris to close the gap: it is a circuit that highlights his strengths and where he had made a significant impact in 2024.
The zero points in Baku could have impacted Piastri’s championship battle much more, but Norris’ difficulties in converting the opportunity limited the damage. Both drivers acknowledged that a better result was possible in Azerbaijan, particularly for the British driver, with most issues arising in qualifying rather than the race.
Beyond going out first on the final lap, without the mistake in turn 15, which cost him around half a second, there would have been a real chance to start in the second row. This small detail could have significantly altered the course of the weekend. While a podium would still have been difficult without an ideal strategy, a top-four finish was not out of reach.
Instead, getting stuck behind Yuki Tsunoda drastically changed the face of his race, limiting overtaking opportunities and affecting the final result. In Singapore, however, a different Norris will be needed—one capable of exploiting one of the remaining circuits where he traditionally makes a difference.
After Zandvoort, it was highlighted that the real value of Piastri’s victory was not only in the win itself but also in the fact that it came on a track where, just a year earlier, he had struggled against his teammate: half a second down in qualifying and around thirty seconds behind in the race.
Viewed more broadly, this detail tells a story of growth. Throughout the season, Piastri has not only confirmed his speed on every track where he was competitive in 2024 but has also managed to win on circuits where he previously struggled against Norris. The only exception was Suzuka, where he still claimed a podium, remaining close to his teammate.
Piastri succeeded in China, Spain, and the Netherlands, overturning the negative trend on circuits that had seen him struggle the year before. It is precisely from confronting his weaknesses that he built the leap in performance that now puts him at the top of the drivers’ championship. Making a difference on tracks that favored Norris in 2024 is one of the key reasons he now leads the standings in a season shaped as much by incidents as by individual mistakes.
From this perspective, the Singapore GP takes on particular significance: it is one of the last events where last year, Norris was able to truly outperform his teammate, dominating the race with only minor scares. Looking at the remaining seven rounds, only at Singapore, in Mexico, and in the United States did the British driver manage to impose himself decisively.
In all other races, Piastri remained competitive, and where he had already shown speed a year ago, he confirmed his performance while improving in areas that had previously challenged him. Therefore, with a gap still nearing thirty points in the championship, Singapore represents an opportunity Norris cannot afford to waste.
Marina Bay is a track with which Norris has had a special connection since his early years in Formula 1, to the point of considering it one of his favorite circuits on the calendar. “I’m confident and feeling good for this weekend, especially because I did really well here last year and had a solid race,” he said ahead of the event.
“I’ve always liked it since my debut in 2019, and even though the forecast seems slightly worse than in previous years, I’m excited. It’s one of my favorite tracks of the season, so I can’t wait to get out on track.”
Beyond personal motivation, there are also technical reasons. Compared to the last two Grands Prix, Singapore is much more suited to the characteristics of the McLaren, offering a real chance to get back ahead and, in the case of a victory, to reclaim a valuable haul of points. There is also another factor, combining technical and personal dimensions.
During this season, with a car that has not always given him full confidence, Norris has struggled especially at front-limited circuits, where a solid front end and good feedback are essential. Mid-season suspension upgrades helped him regain part of that confidence, but did not provide a definitive solution.
Although turn-in is important at Singapore, with several heavy braking zones not entered fully straight, it remains one of the last rear-limited circuits of the season, where Norris should feel more comfortable. Differences between him and Piastri have been minimal, which is why even the smallest details can become decisive.
On the other hand, Piastri has a negative weekend to move past: an anomaly, as it is rare to see the Australian make four mistakes in a single weekend. However, the driver does not appear worried, convinced it is an isolated incident.
“I’d say it was actually relatively easy to move past it. In a way, because the mistakes were so obvious. You know, every weekend you finish trying to figure out how to improve. I think if I make sure to focus on the things that went well, then it will continue in that direction. So yes, nothing revolutionary, I just attribute it to a few mistakes. Obviously, it seems dramatic because they all happened in the same weekend, but really there’s not much more to it.”
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