F1 Singapore, Race Standings: Norris beats Max, Leclerc 5th

by VALERIO BARRETTA

F1 Singapore, the race standings

F1 Singapore, the race report

This time Lando Norris does not dispense gifts. The British takes off his Santa Claus clothes and banishes the uncomfortable ghosts that have tormented him until last night, going on to convert the pole position in Singapore into a clear and distinct success.

There is no contest at Marina Bay, where the McLaren driver starts well and then says goodbye to the company as soon as the pit wall asks him to widen the gap on Max Verstappen. In a very short time Norris builds a safety margin, hammering out one fast lap after another and even going too fast: he risks hitting the wall at least twice, but takes home the third victory of his career.

In the end the gap on the Dutchman is a good 22″: second place is still a great result for Super Max, who arrived in Marina Bay with the fear of seeing Norris in his mirrors in the standings and who instead limits the damage, finding his rival at -52. And he finds him at this distance because at the end of the race Daniel Ricciardo is called to the pits by RB (obviously on the call of Red Bull) to take away the fastest lap from Norris: a choice that will cause discussion considering the ties between the two teams already the subject of complaints by McLaren CEO Zak Brown.

On the podium, in addition to the two contenders for the World Championship, there is Oscar Piastri, who despite a bad start is able to take advantage of the clearly superior pace of the MCL38. Fourth place for George Russell, who saves himself in the final from the pressure of Charles Leclerc. The Monegasque’s comeback stops in fifth place: however, it is difficult for him to have aspired to the podium, considering the strength of the McLaren and the absence of the Safety Car (the first time in the history of this circuit).

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F1 Singapore, live race coverage

You can relive the emotions of the Singapore GP with our live commentary.

Future appointments

Formula 1 is taking a month off and will return on the weekend of October 20th with the Austin event. The Texan weekend will be the fifth with the Sprint format of 2024: it starts on Friday October 18th with FP1 at 19:30, while the serious stuff will start right away with the Sprint Qualifying at 23:30. The short race is scheduled for 20:00 on Saturday, with the actual Qualifying starting at midnight. The race will be at 21:00 Italian time on Sunday October 20th.