Lando Norris continued his world championship push with a commanding victory for McLaren at the 2024 Singapore Grand Prix.
The Briton showcased a blistering pace, leading from start to finish under the lights of the Marina Bay street circuit. However, Drivers’ Championship leader Max Verstappen minimised the points loss by securing second place for Red Bull.
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Norris, who crossed the line 20 seconds ahead of Verstappen, closed the gap to the Dutchman to 52 points with six rounds left in the season.
Oscar Piastri underlined McLaren’s strong form by overtaking both Mercedes drivers, George Russell and Lewis Hamilton, to move from fifth on the grid to third at the finish. This result extended McLaren’s Constructors’ Championship lead over Red Bull to 41 points.
Russell held off a charging Charles Leclerc for fourth, while a frustrated Hamilton settled for sixth, ahead of Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz. Hamilton’s decision to start on soft tyres from third on the grid ultimately backfired.
Norris, who had struggled to maintain his lead at the end of the first lap in his previous five pole starts, made a perfect getaway this time, pulling clear of the pack by the first corner. He then opened up a 25-second gap to Verstappen before the first and only round of pit stops, showcasing a dominant pace that fuels hope he could still mount a remarkable comeback to challenge Verstappen’s pursuit of a fourth consecutive title.
The only moments of concern for Norris came from minor errors. He locked up and clipped the barrier on lap 29, causing slight front-wing damage, and later brushed the wall with his right rear tyre on lap 45. However, these incidents did not threaten his commanding lead.
Norris was on course to claim the fastest lap point, but was thwarted by Daniel Ricciardo, who finished 18th and last on track. Ricciardo, driving for Red Bull’s junior team, RB, pitted for fresh tyres late in the race and set the fastest lap, although he was ineligible for the point due to his low finishing position.
Ricciardo is rumoured to be losing his seat to Liam Lawson ahead of the 2024 United States Grand Prix.
Despite winning seven of the first 10 races in 2024, Verstappen has now gone eight races without a victory. Nevertheless, he appeared content to limit his losses at a circuit that doesn’t suit the RB20.
2024 Singapore Grand Prix race results
The 2024 Singapore Grand Prix Race was held on 22 September 2024, at 8:00 pm local time.
| Pos | No | Driver | Car | Laps | Time/retired | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 4 | Lando Norris | McLaren Mercedes | 62 | 1:40:52.571 | 25 |
| 2 | 1 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull Racing Honda RBPT | 62 | +20.945s | 18 |
| 3 | 81 | Oscar Piastri | McLaren Mercedes | 62 | +41.823s | 15 |
| 4 | 63 | George Russell | Mercedes | 62 | +61.040s | 12 |
| 5 | 16 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | 62 | +62.430s | 10 |
| 6 | 44 | Lewis Hamilton | Mercedes | 62 | +85.248s | 8 |
| 7 | 55 | Carlos Sainz | Ferrari | 62 | +96.039s | 6 |
| 8 | 14 | Fernando Alonso | Aston Martin Aramco Mercedes | 61 | +1 lap | 4 |
| 9 | 27 | Nico Hulkenberg | Haas Ferrari | 61 | +1 lap | 2 |
| 10 | 11 | Sergio Perez | Red Bull Racing Honda RBPT | 61 | +1 lap | 1 |
| 11 | 43 | Franco Colapinto | Williams Mercedes | 61 | +1 lap | 0 |
| 12 | 22 | Yuki Tsunoda | RB Honda RBPT | 61 | +1 lap | 0 |
| 13 | 31 | Esteban Ocon | Alpine Renault | 61 | +1 lap | 0 |
| 14 | 18 | Lance Stroll | Aston Martin Aramco Mercedes | 61 | +1 lap | 0 |
| 15 | 24 | Zhou Guanyu | Kick Sauber Ferrari | 61 | +1 lap | 0 |
| 16 | 77 | Valtteri Bottas | Kick Sauber Ferrari | 61 | +1 lap | 0 |
| 17 | 10 | Pierre Gasly | Alpine Renault | 61 | +1 lap | 0 |
| 18 | 3 | Daniel Ricciardo1 | RB Honda RBPT | 61 | +1 lap | 0 |
| 19 | 20 | Kevin Magnussen | Haas Ferrari | 57 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 23 | Alexander Albon | Williams Mercedes | 15 | DNF |
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